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Last update - 05:21 05/03/2009 Head of Palestinian rights group banned from travelling to accept award By Akiva Eldar Israel is preventing the director general of the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, Shawan Jabarin, from travelling to the Netherlands to accept a prize. The Supreme Court has been asked to review Jabarin's petition to reverse the Shin Bet's decision. The Geuzenpenning Prize for Human Rights Defenders will be given at a ceremony next week. The country's royal family is scheduled to attend, and Israel's refusal to allow Jabarin to travel to the Netherlands is straining relations with the European country. The travel restrictions have stirred a series of protests by human rights organizations around the world, and has become the subject of high-level exchanges between the Dutch and Israeli foreign ministries. Advertisement The Foreign Ministry refused to comment, and the Shin Bet argued it could not comment since the matter had been brought before the Supreme Court. For the past three years, the Shin Bet has prevented Jabarin from traveling abroad, arguing he is a member of the People's Liberation Front for Palestine, and "his travel may endanger regional security." The Netherlands jointly awarded the prize to Al-Haq and B'tselem, an Israeli human rights group. The prize commemorates the activities of the Dutch resistance under Nazi occupation. The Supreme Court is scheduled to deliberate Jabarin's petition today. The petitioners stress that the refusal to permit Jabarin to travel abroad suggests he is being targeted for securing human rights for his people. Moreover, Jabarin maintains that human rights activists must enjoy added protection in areas "where there is no democracy - like the occupied territories." Previous petitions to the court requesting that Jabarin be allowed to exit the country have been rejected on the basis of classified information that the Shin Bet presented the justices. "How can it be that my stay in the Netherlands constitutes a higher security threat than my being in Ramallah?" Jabarin told Haaretz. "For the past 22 years, the Shin Bet has argued that I am an active member in the Popular Front. During this entire period, I was never tried for this and obviously was never given an opportunity to defend myself against such a charge. Their evidence is secret and classified and is hidden from me and my lawyers. I have been an activist in Al-Haq since 1987, and I am not an activist for the Popular Front," Jabarin said. Ten Israeli human rights groups sent a letter of protest to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, demanding that Jabarin be allowed to travel to the Netherlands to receive the prize. "The blatant blow to the freedom of movement of one of the best-known human rights activists in the West Bank is contrary to the basic principles of a state that is governed by the rule of law," they wrote. Bookmark to del.icio.us   The real Gaza war Haaretz expose: IDF testimonies paint grim picture of Operation Cast Lead. Israel's PR image Ex-U.S. envoy to UN tells Haaretz what he really thought of Israel during his term.   1.   No travel 06:25  |  David 05/03/09   2.   Trvel ban 06:32  |  Victor 05/03/09   3.   Let him go 07:09  |  Liat 05/03/09   4.   anti semitic Dutch protestors? 08:37  |  Georges H Saab 05/03/09   5.   Doctor Jekyl and Mister Hyde? 08:51  |  Elie 05/03/09   6.   Conflicted 09:04  |  Mike 05/03/09   7.   Award Ban 09:10  |  Stephanie Varnado 05/03/09   8.   Palestinian rights group 09:27  |  Ralph 05/03/09   9.   A Member of PFLP gets human rights award for??.Munich massacre? 09:30  |  PETER SM 05/03/09   10.   I do not get this travel ban 09:31  |  Sophie Amrain 05/03/09   11.   Tennis anyone? 09:33  |  Joseph Bloughberg 05/03/09   12.   B`tselem is not a human rights group 09:36  |  Joe Sittizen 05/03/09   13.   If He is So Unsafe Why is He Free??? 10:14  |  Baruch Gold 05/03/09   14.   Australia 2003 (Hanan Ashrawi) revisited...... 10:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/03/09   15.   AWARD to PFLP for?? Munich massacre?? Peace moves? 11:07  |  PETER SM 05/03/09   16.   funny?...iran`s leading human rights activist... 11:14  |  eric 05/03/09   17.   Read the WHOLE article, not just headline, would you? 11:22  |  Sceptic 05/03/09   18.   NOBODY stopped Ashrawi getting a lefist gong 12:16  |  PETER SM 05/03/09   19.   # 18 PETER, you are obviously part of the "bunch".... 13:04  |  Swiss (Dino) 05/03/09   20.   Travel permit - Joe Sittizen 13:10  |  PCR 05/03/09   21.   Jabarin has never been tried 13:55  |  Avemtis 05/03/09   22.   Petty ... 15:17  |  Phil Craig 05/03/09   23.   THEY DESTROY RADID DOGS 15:31  |  Petra 05/03/09   24.   Or la-goyim? 15:36  |  Proud Zionist 05/03/09   25.   Will George Mitchell Deem This an "Internal Matter"? 15:48  |  Yaakov Sullivan 05/03/09   26.   Shame on those 10 Israeli human rights groups 15:53  |  Arnold 05/03/09   27.   Travel ban 16:12  |  Ray Gordon 05/03/09   28.   Where Is The Harm? 16:22  |  Cool B 05/03/09   29.   Dear Arnold, what does Shalit have to do with this? 16:47  |  Yaakov Sullivan 05/03/09   30.   Israel will let him travel on the condition... 17:08  |  Ibrahim 05/03/09   31.   it may hurt this man 17:28  |  rm 05/03/09   32.   #12 Joe Sittizen 17:32  |  Elina 05/03/09   33.   Is Israel a democracy? 17:40  |  Danny 05/03/09   34.   rm on Israel`s Moral Standing #30 17:50  |  Yaakov Sullivan 05/03/09   35.   "P" people don`t have rights `cos they do not exist 17:52  |  Tomer 05/03/09   36.   Subjects 18:58  |  Heinz 05/03/09   37.   Tomer - if, as you say, the Palestinians don`t exist... 19:05  |  Danny 05/03/09   38.   Terrorists have no rights 19:19  |  Gee 05/03/09   39.   Effectively an admission of guilt 20:24  |  Mark Lincoln 05/03/09   40.   Baruch 20:26  |  Joan 05/03/09   41.   As usual,. shooting themselves in the foot 21:25  |  David 05/03/09   42.   PETER SM: guilty unless proven innocent 23:00  |  Mark B. 05/03/09   43.   disgusting 23:04  |  o 05/03/09   44.   How does Israel support a Palestinian peace party? 23:32  |  binny 05/03/09   45.   Joe - do Settlers have rights in the West Bank? 00:29  |  Palestinian Brit 06/03/09   46.   Yaacov Sullivan - Yes, spot on 00:41  |  VishnujayaRamajaya 06/03/09   47.   Those NonJewish who Opposed Dubai`s Ban on Israeli Tennis Player 03:02  |  Monitor 06/03/09   48.   Visa for Human Rights activist 04:17  |  Oz 06/03/09   49.   Don`t deceit us 04:44  |  jag van eimeren 06/03/09   50.   Banned 04:56  |  John 06/03/09   51.   Let him go... 12:37  |  Louise 06/03/09   52.   Travel Ban 16:40  |  Michael 06/03/09   53.   All or None 17:46  |  Judith 06/03/09   54.   48 Oz, Re: your suggestion.... 20:28  |  dUtch 06/03/09

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