Press releases
Thee executed by Hamas in Gaza Strip
In response to today’s execution of three Palestinians by the Hamas authorities in the Gaza Strip, James Lynch, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said:
"The deep flaws in the Gaza Strip’s justice system, with repeated reports pointing to the widespread use of torture, make today’s executions particularly egregious."The Hamas authorities must halt any further plans to carry out executions and immediately establish an official moratorium.”"The Hamas authorities have tried to justify these executions as a way to deter crime, but there is no credible evidence that the death penalty has a greater deterrent effect than prison terms."Instead of executing people, the Hamas authorities should change course and start to promote accountability in the Gaza Strip by conducting independent investigations into abuses by their own forces."