UN, rights group concerned over Hamas death penalty

The United Nations and Human Rights Watch are alarmed about the statements made by Hamas, the ruling Islamic militant group in Gaza, of an imminent public execution of 13 Palestinians charged of collaboration with Israel for murder.

Spokesperson of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHR), Rupert Colville, issued an official statement on Wednesday, May 25, the same day the announcement was made in Gaza.

Colville said that the UN office is "deeply concerned about recent statements made by the authorities in Gaza, including the Attorney General, of their intention to implement a number of death sentences, and fear that the first executions may be imminent."

According to Colville, Hamas' decision to carry out the death sentence was a response to the demands made by the families of the victims killed. He stressed that the penalty should only be carried out in "extremely limited circumstances" and expressed his "serious doubts" that Gaza's capital trials had met fair trial standards. Colville also mentioned the "disturbing media reports" that the execution will be done in public. He noted that to do so is prohibited under international law.

The Human Rights Watch are just as concerned that the sentence was made without a due process.

Sari Bashi, Spokeswoman for Human Rights Watch, told New York Times, "It's terrible. The court system in Gaza is rife with coercion, torture and compromised procedures, and so to execute people in Gaza is particularly egregious."

Hamas legislators have finally decided to reinstate the death penalty after days of arguing about it and even without needing the approval of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

"We found it was important to implement the death penalty rule to maintain civil peace in society and to prevent cases of murder," Yehia Mousa, a Hamas legislator said.

As reported by New York Times, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights has recorded at least 67 executions since 2007 when the militant group took over Gaza. The executions were mostly halted in 2014 when Abbas' national unity government was in place but the government quickly fell apart after a year, bringing back power to the militant Hamas.