United for Palestine Nicosia has announced a protest outside the Israeli embassy on Wednesday, 8 April at 6 pm, condemning a new Israeli law imposing the death penalty on Palestinians.
Background of the law
According to a press release issued on 6 April, the law was passed by the Israeli Knesset on 30 March and has been described by UfP as an “apartheid law” that enshrines the hanging of Palestinians, including citizens of Israel and residents of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The legislation makes the death penalty the default sentence for Palestinians convicted by Israeli military courts of deadly attacks classified as acts of terrorism. UfP claims that Israel routinely detains Palestinians without charge or trial, extracting confessions under duress, including from minors.
Alleged discriminatory nature
The group stated that the law does not apply to Israeli Jewish perpetrators accused of similar acts, establishing “clear racial separation”. It applies only to Palestinians in the West Bank and excludes violent Israeli settlers, while amendments to Israel’s Penal Code effectively exempt Israeli Jewish perpetrators inside Israel.
UfP criticised the law for violating international humanitarian law and human rights law, calling for its immediate repeal.
Call to action
The organisation urged President Nikos Christodoulides to publicly oppose the law and criticised what it called Cyprus’ complicity in growing relations with Israel. UfP also noted that several European politicians, including EU spokesperson Anouar El Anouni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius, had already condemned the legislation.
Supporters have been invited to attend the protest with placards and other materials to make their voices heard.
Also read: Palestinians face death penalty under new Israeli law
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