A LEADING Palestinian human rights activist who is due to receive an award from NUI Galway’s Irish Centre for Human Rights this week has been prevented from travelling by the Israeli authorities.
Shawan Jabarin, who was Amnesty International’s first Palestinian prisoner of conscience, has been nominated for a “distinguished graduate award” as part of the centre’s 10th anniversary celebrations.
Dr Shane Darcy, human rights law lecturer at the centre, has expressed concern that he will not be able to leave the West Bank to travel to Ireland for the ceremony on Friday.
Mr Jabarin is director of the Palestinian human rights non-governmental organisation Al-Haq, and has suffered imprisonment and torture for his beliefs. He spent a year at the Galway university’s centre from 2004 to 2005, where he studied international human rights law. His lawyer has challenged the ban, Mr Jabarin said. “I think in the end it will take public pressure, but I will not surrender and I will not give up my stance.”
