Condemnation of Visa Restrictions
Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, issued a statement addressing the recent announcement by the US Department of State. The department declared it would deny visas to a high-level delegation from the State of Palestine, including President Mahmoud Abbas, for the second consecutive year. This decision prevents the delegation from participating in the proceedings of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Guevara-Rosas stated that the US must reverse its decision to refuse visas for the Palestinian delegation attending the 81st session of the General Assembly. She argued that the department’s statement clearly indicates the move aims to punish Palestine for seeking justice and accountability through international institutions, specifically citing the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Undermining International Law
The organization described the measure as part of a continuous campaign of retaliatory actions targeting the very concept of international justice. Amnesty International warned that failing to respect and comply with international law, alongside continuous attacks on human rights defenders committed to promoting international justice, severely undermines the international legal system. These attacks include imposing unilateral sanctions and ignoring binding orders and advisory opinions from the ICJ, as well as arrest warrants issued by the ICC and resolutions from the UN General Assembly and Security Council.
The statement noted that while more member states are finally taking long-awaited measures to halt trade with illegal Israeli settlements, these actions remain notably insufficient. Amnesty International urged these states to firmly counter US attempts to dismantle the international justice system and the multilateralism principle foundational to the UN system. Such decisions, which constitute a clear violation of the Headquarters Agreement, set a dangerous precedent by using the host country’s privileges to impose arbitrary restrictions on attendance at UN meetings.
Call for Immediate Action
Amnesty International renewed its call for the United States to immediately and unconditionally cancel sanctions imposed concerning the ICC or individuals and groups fighting for international justice. This includes sanctions against ICC judges, Palestinian human rights organizations, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Instead of undermining international law, the organization asserted that the US should use its significant influence to pressure Israel to end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian land, dismantle the apartheid system it enforces, and stop the genocide being carried out against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.
This report was produced by the HuMedia newsroom.
