ACAT-Luxembourg and 19 other organizations committed to the abolition of the death penalty say no to the death penalty in Israel

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

April 3, 2026

Twenty organizations committed to the abolition of the death penalty denounce the adoption by the Israeli parliament of a bill establishing the death penalty for Palestinians: an unacceptable act of discrimination and a violation of human rights.

Our organizations express their profound indignation following the adoption by the Israeli Parliament on March 30, 2026, of a law establishing the death penalty for individuals convicted of “terrorism,” legislation that would apply only to Palestinians. This legislative initiative, championed by the nationalist government of Benjamin Netanyahu, represents a dangerous escalation in policies of repression and violence against a people already under occupation.

This law, which could be systematically applied in response to attacks against Israeli citizens, raises serious human rights concerns. Its discriminatory nature is blatant, as it will apply exclusively to Palestinians and risks legitimizing extrajudicial killings, thereby exacerbating the climate of violence and tension in the region.

This law stipulates that anyone "who intentionally causes the death of another person with the intent to harm an Israeli citizen or resident, with the intent to end the existence of the State of Israel, shall be sentenced to death or life imprisonment." For Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the classification of a homicide as a terrorist act by the military justice system would automatically lead to the application of the death penalty.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Türk, has already warned that such legislation is difficult to reconcile with the principles of human dignity and carries an unacceptable risk of judicial errors, which could lead to the execution of innocent people.

Furthermore, the international community, including the Council of Europe and several European states , has condemned this law, describing it as a serious setback for human rights .

Our organizations committed to the abolition of the death penalty worldwide fervently hope that this law will never be implemented . Our organizations support the efforts of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), which immediately filed a petition with the Israeli Supreme Court challenging the legality of this law, deeming it unconstitutional and discriminatory.

We call on the Israeli authorities to:

●      Repeal this unfair and discriminatory law immediately.

●      human rights law

●      End all forms of violence and discrimination against Palestinians.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and advocate for the voices of those who will be victims of this unjust legislation. We also call on the international community, including the United Nations and diplomatic bodies, as well as NGOs and citizens, to mobilize in defense of human rights so that this law is never implemented .

List of signatory organizations

ACAT-France (Action of Christians for the Abolition of Torture)

ECPM (Together Against the Death Penalty)

Free Mumia Collective

ACAT-Belgium

ACAT-Benin

ACAT-Burundi

ACAT-Cameroon

ACAT-Canada

ACAT-Congo-Brazzaville

ACAT-Spain-Catalonia

ACAT-Ghana

ACAT-Liberia

ACAT-Luxembourg

ACAT-Madagascar

ACAT-Niger

ACAT-Congo-DRC

ACAT-Senegal

ACAT-Switzerland

ACAT-Chad

ACAT-Togo

ACAT-France press contact :

+33 1 40 40 74 10 - communication@acatfrance.fr

ECPM press contact :

+33 6 01 78 50 15 - lcrepin@ecpm.org