PCHR Welcomes President Abbas's Decision to Cancel Lenient Sentences against Persons Committing Crimes for "Maintaining Family Honor"

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to cancel lenient sentences against persons committing crimes for "maintaining family honor."

PCHR hopes that this decision will contribute in detering these crimes. Persons committing these crimes benefited from the impunity granted to them by the law as they were subject to lenient sentences. Such impunity resulted in the escalation of such crimes in the Palestinian society over the past decades and has opened the door undermining the rule of law.

PCHR also hopes, in view of the Palestinian reconciliation, that the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) will resume its activities and will develop a unified Palestinian penal code that conforms to the spirit and essence of the Palestinian Basic Law and to international human rights standards in order to guarantee public rights and freedoms. Read the full statement