Moroccan NGOs send memo to UN to act over death penalty for Palestinian prisoners

Moroccan rights groups are calling on the United Nations to act fast over a controversial move that could allow the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners.

In an urgent memo sent to the U.N. secretary-general and the high commissioner for human rights, the groups warned that allowing the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners would violate basic human rights and threaten the right to life.

The memo was signed by a wide coalition of Moroccan groups working on human rights, prison conditions, women’s rights, media freedom and accountability.

Framing the issue as more than political, the organizations said it touches on human conscience and universal values of justice. 

The coalition of NGOs called for immediate international intervention, saying that allowing such legislation would weaken the legal foundations of the modern global system.

The groups are asking for the legislation to be frozen and ultimately scrapped, noting that the right to life is absolute and cannot be restricted.

They also pointed to Israel’s legal obligations as an occupying power, saying it must protect people under its control in line with the Fourth Geneva Convention. 

According to the memo, introducing or expanding the death penalty in occupied territories would go beyond the strict limits set by international law, especially given concerns about whether basic legal protections are in place.

The organizations raised red flags about the fairness of trials involving Palestinian prisoners, saying key safeguards are missing. 

They also criticized what they described as the discriminatory nature of the proposed law, warning it could deepen inequality and legal exclusion.

The coalition is calling on the United Nations to take clear and practical steps by issuing an official position declaring the legislation inconsistent with international obligations and applying diplomatic and legal pressure to suspend it, with the aim of full repeal.

They also called for stronger monitoring and protection measures to ensure the right to life is upheld and to prevent any arbitrary use of the death penalty.