The head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has sent urgent letters to top international officials condemning a new Israeli law that allows for the execution of Palestinian prisoners, calling it a "dangerous precedent" that legalizes political murder.
Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary-General of the 57-member OIC, dispatched the identical letters to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, EU foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas, and the heads of the International Red Cross and UN Human Rights commission.
In the letters, Taha expressed the organization’s "rejection and condemnation" of the Israeli Knesset’s passage of the «Death Penalty for Palestinian Prisoners Law.» He argued that the legislation constitutes a "flagrant violation" of international humanitarian law and represents a direct assault on the values of justice and human dignity.
The move by the Jeddah-based organization comes amid heightened international scrutiny of the treatment of detainees in Israeli occupation prisons. Taha noted that the law’s adoption coincides with a worsening situation for Palestinian prisoners, citing reports from UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese that document instances of torture, starvation, and sexual violence.
The OIC chief described the legislation as an extension of "systematic Israeli violations" in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He characterized the law as an attempt to "strip Palestinians of their freedom, dignity, identity and humanity."
The correspondence concluded with a call for the international community and member states to "assume their responsibilities" and take necessary legal and procedural measures to counter the legislation.
Israeli officials have previously defended such legislative efforts as necessary deterrents against terrorism, though the move has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and international legal experts who argue it targets a specific population under military occupation.
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