Palestine: Hamas executes three civilians tried in Gaza military courts

In response to the appalling news that three men convicted of collaborating with Israel were hanged today by the Hamas de facto administration in the Gaza Strip, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Magdalena Mughrabi said:

“Today’s executions by the Hamas authorities in Gaza represent a bitter blow for human rights. The death penalty is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Its use is deplorable in any circumstances but the fact that these three civilian men were condemned to death after being convicted in unfair proceedings in military courts makes their executions all the more outrageous.

The fact that these three civilian men were condemned to death after being convicted in unfair proceedings in military courts makes their executions all the more outrageous

Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International

“No one should be deprived of the right to life no matter what crime they are accused of. Hamas must halt all executions immediately, abolish the death penalty and stop trying civilians in military courts.”

On 11 April 2017 Amnesty International will launch its annual death penalty report, detailing death sentence and execution statistics for 2016.