Nordic Rights Condemns Assault on Fundamental Human Rights in Europe and Stands in Solidarity with Activists

At Nordic Right, we are committed to advocating for and upholding human rights across the Nordic Region and beyond. Today, we raise our voices in condemnation of the alarming deterioration of fundamental human rights in Europe, as documented in a recent statement by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC). Nordic Rights fully supports IHRC’s call for international intervention to protect these essential rights.

In a statement released today, the IHRC conveyed their deep concern and intention to seek the United Nations’ intervention to address the escalating attacks on freedoms in the UK, France, and Germany. These actions represent a significant threat to the rights of individuals and groups advocating for Palestinian rights and self-determination.

The IHRC’s statement reads, “The letter serves notice of our intention to document the attacks on freedoms by the UK, France, and Germany and submit a detailed report highlighting official abuses. It is the first step in a procedure that seeks to engage the international body with the aim of applying pressure on the aforementioned governments to halt their assault on pro-Palestine activism.”

Nordic Rights firmly denounces the restrictive measures taken by these governments, which have stifled pro-Palestine activism and curtailed the right to express dissent. In the United Kingdom, the Home Secretary’s recent remarks questioning the legitimacy of carrying a Palestinian flag and advocating for the banning of certain chants at protests are deeply troubling.

In France, the situation is equally concerning, with the government shutting down anti-occupation protests and banning pro-Palestine organizations. Moreover, the process of dissolving two pro-Palestine civil society groups, the Party of the Indigenous of the Republic and Palestine Will Conquer, raises serious questions about the state of civil liberties in the country.

Germany’s ban on the pro-Palestinian group Samidoun and the prohibition of pro-Palestinian protests in multiple cities, accompanied by the arrest of demonstrators, demonstrate an alarming pattern of suppression. Such actions threaten the right of individuals to express themselves freely, without undue state interference.

“The pattern of conflating Hamas with all Palestinians and their right of self-defense, self-determination, and to resist illegal occupation is a cynical ploy employed by many countries to delegitimize the Palestinian cause and represents a flagrant violation of people’s right to express themselves freely without state interference,” states the IHRC’s letter.

Last week, Nordic Rights joined IHRC and nine other civil society organizations in the UK to warn the government against any attempt to ban the Palestine flag. We support IHRC’s stance on challenging such attempts in the courts to defend the internationally recognized symbol of the Palestinian people’s resistance against occupation.

Nordic Rights calls upon the governments of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany to respect the principles of freedom of expression and to cease their assaults on pro-Palestine activism. We echo IHRC’s plea for international intervention to safeguard fundamental human rights and reiterate our unwavering commitment to defending these rights across the Nordic Region and the world.