Palestine - Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: The Death Penalty
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Country: Palestine
Issues: Death Penalty, International Advocacy, Women's Rights
Mechanism: UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Report Type: List of Issues
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In April 2014, the State of Palestine acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women without any reservations.[1] On March 18, 2019, the State of Palestine also ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which aims to abolish the death penalty.[2] The State of Palestine has not yet abolished the death penalty. Indeed-as described herein-the June 14, 2007 split in power between the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah in the West Bank under President Abbas, and the Hamas movement in Gaza, has been followed by many documented executions in Gaza without the requisite signature of President Abbas, and Gazan military courts conduct trials of civilians, where they can be sentenced to death. As the State of Palestine has not formally abolished the death penalty, women are at risk of being sentenced to death.
[1] Human Rights Watch, "Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling, and Equality Now, Joint Submission to the CEDAW Committee on the State of Palestine, 70th session," accessed Sept. 23, 2022, https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/11/human-rights-watch-womens-centre-legal-aid-and-counselling-and-equality-now-joint#:~:text=Palestine%20acceded%20to%20the%20UN,Africa%20region%20to%20do%20so.
[2] United Nations, "Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty," accessed June 8, 2022, https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=IND&mtdsg_no=IV-12&chapter=4&clang=_en#:~:text=Under%20Article%202%2C%20paragraph%201%20of%20the%20Second%20Optional%20Protocol,time%20of%20ratification%20or%20accession.
