Urgent appeal of 23,000 citizens from across the world to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for protection of human rights defenders active in the BDS movement (June 2016) Dear Mr. High Commissioner, We, the undersigned citizens concerned about human rights and democracy, appeal to you to take action as a matter of urgency in order to ensure that individuals, groups, associations, public and private institutions and local governments participating in the boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement can freely express their opinion and act for Palestinian human rights without unlawful interference or repression. The BDS movement is a Palestinian civil society-led global movement of citizens committed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It carries out and advocates for nonviolent BDS campaigns as a means to overcome the flagrant and persistent Israeli violations of international law that prevent the exercise of UN-recognized rights by the Palestinian people. We are appalled by the repression adopted by Israel and some western states to undermine the right of human rights defenders to freedom of expression, including the right to boycott. States that subscribe to principles of human rights and democracy have resorted to measures of de-legitimization and intimidation, including undemocratic laws, false allegations of racism and attacks on safety and integrity of persons. Specifically, we urge you to: 1) Issue a public statement strongly condemning all intimidation and unlawful restrictions on BDS campaigners and affirming that the right of citizens to advocate for and carry out BDS campaigns is a right protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders; 2) Undertake interventions with governments as necessary to convey this message and ensure that attacks on the human rights defenders of the BDS movement will cease; 3) Activate relevant special UN mechanisms, including the UN special rapporteurs on the right to freedom of expression and opinion, and on human rights defenders, to investigate, intervene privately and issue similar public statements; 4) Encourage the office of the OHCHR and the EU to extend protection under human rights defender mechanisms in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel to the human rights defenders of the BDS movement. Signed by: Palestinian BDS National Committee and the following 23,000 citizens from across the world. Dezelee, France alice, italy BALMAIN, France John Cornish, UK "Name", Country Eddie Violette, Uk Mouhoun, France Feras Hammami, Sweden Lionel Brard, France Abdellaoui, France piotr lozinski, poland Stuart Gray, Ireland Bravy25, France bellavoir, espagne Yin Hua, USA Boukharouba, France john hodge, UK Ian Brookes, Uk Hadi Tahir, Indonesia Anne Thomas, England Mohammed Jalal, UK Zouhir, France Anthony Leaker, United Kingdom Jean Marc Turine, Brlgium Evelyne Gailhardis, France Haddioui, France Mohamed-Chaabani, France Gill Eddy, UK Bonay, France bincol, philippines Froissart Pierre, France johanna geerts, France PLAUT Ghislain, France enzo mima, Delpuech, France Kyar, Belgium SITI HAJAR BINTI ABU BAKAR, Elsa, France Bougault, France Malaysia Tamas Nagy, UK Sab, France Ragheed, USA Rosario Loring Garcia, Spain Wayne Lockwood, UK Rula, USA Norman Hill, United Kingdom az yusaf, uae Razan, USA david james jones, United Dylan Clements, Australia Mia Grindon, United States Kingdom Rouchdi, France Zuhair, USA Shan Ashton, UK ELMNAOUAR, France Breandán Mac Cionnaith, Pete, USA ouafi, france Ireland damien campbell, england Laily, Indonesia Geoffrey Thompson, UK Veronika Damiani, UK Takbou, France Alin Boughousi, USA Wallid, Sweden Greg Jeudy, France Sana Haque, USA François GALLET, France Michel, France Waqar, USA Melissa McCormick, Australia Charton kevin, France Dzulkifly Yusof, Malaysia Kevin Walsh, China Chaouch, France Faraz, UK Kate Seaney, UK Isobel Kennedy, United Kingdom Laura Davidescu, France Luigi Calabrese, Italy stefania, Italy André Gundersen, Norway fleuchard, france phil, uk Eric Caler, USA Billy Cartuthers, UK CLAUDE BOSC, France Sheila Lambert, United Kingdom Kevin Hemsley, UK Safaa, France Maria Würtz, denmark Saad, Pakistan Yvonne Steur, Netherlands Yelena Affleck, Canada Mahmoud AbuRahma, Palestine talita, Dave Dillon, Ireland Andrew Kiwanuka, United Ahmed Arba, Sweden Omar Shanti, United States Kingdom Emmanuel Ihowa, France Adrian Byrne, Ireland Hadjoudja, France benhadou, belgium mastrangelo fabienne, France Khalid Majjouti, Germany devillepoix deborah, france Aldhie, Australia Abdelali, France belhimeur, FRANCE penny thame, UK Alwyn Davies, UK YESSI OKTAVIA, Singapore moe fairooz, USA Ben, AUSTRALIA Mchaigui soraya, France Shukri Hanhan, USA Carol Linardi, UK Joe Toole, UK Daniel Theisen, USA Dahmane, France Nazir, Uk Christine Hicks, Australia Zulfqar Ali, UK Monemi, Usa Iain Davidson, Australia, TAÃEB, Julian Yaqub, UK Hazem MALHAS, Jordan Roger Clifford, UK nguyen, france A. Ward, Canada Frances McInally, United Anna Kashdan, UK ., USA Kingdom Ablay, Belgium Donna kennedy, U.K. Terry Yarnell, UK Paul Bagnicki, UK Ayesha Mangera, UK Alwyn Humphreys, UK Shawn Ryan, USA Neddal Abutaa, USA Chafik el aougri, France Ikhlashasan, Jordan Colin Maddock, NZ Aileen Keogh, Ireland Stephanie Archer, United Shahzana gilani, USA Dave mooring, UK Kingdom Renae Miller, United States Basariah salim, Malaysia Mordassin David, France Doug Pritchard, Australia Ayda Farah, Francempther at Sami Amer, Saudi Srabia cecilia barrera, Argentina hpme Anthony Gallagher, Ireland Nizamudheen Mangalasseri Stephen baxter, UK El aissaoui souhail, Switzerland Pareekutty, India Will Hannigan, UK Farhan khan, India Mohd Fariz Bin Kamaruddin, Calvin Shell, United Kingdom Ben meziane, Malaysia Neil Loughran, Ireland Rita Trainor, ireland maheen, india Michelle Forster, UK Gacem, France Carol Fox, USA ballandras thierry, Suisse Beenish karim, UK Adele Luxford, Brian Mckenna, Scotland Khaled, France Tamam abdel Qader, Australia Ruksana Bostan, UK Karin Halvorsen, Norway Marzuki Abdullah, United States Valerie, France Mike Griffin, Australia Thomas Turner, USA Mary O'Brien, United Kingdom van dam, france Christopher Gray, United Virginia Bomber, england Pascal PIERREDON, France Kingdom Susan Crump, Uk Ishtiaque, India [email protected], Errahal, France Fateha, UK United States Asad Jamil, UK Morel, France Alberto, USA Marwan Khader, Saudi Arabia tayrah rahman, u.k. Christopher Novell, USA Qasim, Pakistan Francesco Marass, United Donal McGuire, U.K. Gordon McDowell, Canada Kingdom kcoth cormack, Scotland El FAQER OTHMAN, Morroco Harry Owen, England Stephanie Reiss, Germany Fredo Elfredo, Sweden Harry Owen, England Muhammad Ali Khan, Pakistan MICHAEL HONEY, Australia Anil, UK Peter Dewhurst, UK Andrew Dunbar, United States Edward John Zandee, USA Moomin, India Taha Hasan, Canada Jane Hauser, France lia masili, germany Reza Hiwa, France Andre Bosz, Netherlands Jaqui McLean, Scotland UK Muslim Abdul Kader, India David McCarthy, Hong Kong Anj, Canada Zaffer Hussain, England Gail Parry, United Kingdom Danny Baker, United Kingdom Samia, Saadia Ghauri, Uk William Waugh, United Kingdom Victoria E Thompson, USA Ella, England Kathryn Ribbins, england Irshad Ahmed, India Carol, Spain Hamza, Saudi Arabia Stephen Glass, Australia Anna De freitas, uk michael clements, United uta harrison, Canada Rami Hazou, Australia Kingdom Shaffie butt, Canada CONCEPCIÓN GÓMEZ Dai, Australia Abdul Aziz, U.K. VERDESOTO, España John Hyslop, Scotland john lewis, Yousef Dabit, USA Saed, Usa isaac mitre, USA paddy rodgers, ireland Laura Goldthorpe, UK Tucker Dread, UK Lamia Abdalkader, USA Ana Rita Madruga, Portugal Murugan Elu, United States Valeria Scordino, Italia Nina Davies, Spain Jamal Ali, United Kingdom santiago, Argentina Elizabeth Toole, Ireland Craig Hunter, USA Mark Dalton, UK Chris Docherty, U.K David Elkins, Australia Adrian Lane, UK John Hyslop, United Kingdom Naveed Asif, UK Sefian nasser, Australia Haitham Bweirat, Palestine Gabi Brown, Australia Ann Farr, UK Zishan Ahmad, Uk christopher emmins, United Victoria, UK David Halsall, Isle of Man Kingdom Daisy Mules, Ireland Carl Clarke, Ireland Fabio Corvaglia, Canada Stephen Sullivan, Great Britain Manuel Cifuentes Jeldes, United Nessa, United Kingdom Daryl Godfrey, UK Kingdom Alreem Kamal, United Kingdom Fatima Fauzel, United Kingdom Nelly Takl-Wright, UK Debra Hayhoe, UK Jane Williams, U.K. Graham Hale, United Kingdom Rochester Jezini, Brasil Laith Zananiri, Australia Finola Contento, UK Dr. Robert O. Stuart, USA Rufus Thompson-Cox, UK Rob beck, UK Andrew Lister, United Kingdom osob, U.K reveillac, france Mike Rabie, USA Gela Jones, Switzerland Renee Awaida, UK Anjam Afzal, UK Gabe Ruhan, UK Geert Cuypers, United States Labeeb, Canada Qaiser Raja, UK jørn kleven, Norway Jeni Hunneyball, United Kingdom John McCole, Ireland Simon Anderson, UK Lakel, France Jim Anastassi, UK Gary Taylor, England Sadek Islam, UK Bo Svensson, United States mario ruggier, Malta Nizam Meah, USA christina macdonald, UK Loic Lartigau, UK Errol Tumarae, New Zealand Paul Mckeown, U.K. Ahmad Shafiq Ahmad Khaizi, Christine D, UK DANE OWEN, AUSTRALIA Malaysia Daniyal Karim, UK Kevin mccourt, Ireland Tony Mann, U.K. Arfan Mahmood, United kingdom umme farwa, uk Agnieszka Wojcik, United Paul Cullerton, Australia Patricia Senra, Portugal Kingdom anas alsharea, Australia Joud Karam, Jordan Faheem raza, United Kingdom c dean, UK Tony dhillon, Uk Gerard O'Mahony, Ireland c dean, UK Martina williams,