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Al Mezan Condemns So-Called “Honor Killing” in Rafah and Calls for Justice

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17 June 2019 |Reference 56/2019

On Monday, 17 June 2019, S.H., 26, was strangled to death by her brother in her uncle’s house in Al-Nasr neighbourhood in the north Rafah district. Her brother allegedly killed her for reasons suspected to be related to “preserving family honor”.

 

According to information collected by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, at approximately 1:20am on Monday, police received reports of the killing and launched an investigation, arresting the suspected murderer. At 2:50am, doctors at Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital pronounced S.H. dead, before her body was referred to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for forensic examination.

 

Al Mezan strongly condemns this murder and calls on the competent authorities to thoroughly investigate this latest case. The authorities must ignore fallacious considerations in delivering full justice to the perpetuator if proven guilty. Al Mezan warns that continued rewarding of “family honor” murderers with reduced sentences contributes to an environment in which they are encouraged and emboldened to commit such serious crimes, and has increased women’s vulnerability to killing and harm.

 

Al Mezan calls for the pursuit of a full process of law in order to deter the perpetration of all forms of violence against women.  Under Palestine’s memberships to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, local authorities are obligated to deal with acts of murder of women as serious crimes, and to respect, protect, and promote all rights of women.

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