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(Paris, April 17, 2026) – French authorities denied Shawan Jabarin, director of the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, an entry visa to attend a hearing before the European Parliament’s Human Rights Committee in Strasbourg.
Jabarin, who leads one of the oldest and most prominent Palestinian human rights groups based in the occupied West Bank, was scheduled to appear alongside representatives from other civil society organizations to testify on restrictions affecting Palestinian NGOs.
This marks the second time within six months that French officials have refused Jabarin entry into the Schengen area. In October 2025, his application to renew a Schengen visa was rejected, with authorities citing “threats to public order or internal security” without providing further details or evidence.
Bénédicte Jeannerod, France director at Human Rights Watch, criticized the decision, stating it prevented “one of the most prominent human rights defenders in Palestine from appearing in person before the European Parliament.” She added that the move is “particularly shocking at a time when Palestinian civil society organizations are facing the combined disastrous effects of the Israeli authorities’ attempts to marginalize and destroy them and US sanctions.”
Jeannerod emphasized that France, as host to key European institutions tasked with promoting human rights, bears a responsibility to facilitate their work and should not obstruct access for defenders seeking to engage with those bodies.
The European Parliament’s Human Rights Committee confirmed Jabarin had been invited to participate in a public hearing on the shrinking space for civil society in the occupied Palestinian territory, though it did not comment on the visa denial.
French foreign ministry officials did not respond to requests for clarification on the grounds for the latest visa refusal.
Al-Haq, founded in 1979, holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and has documented human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory for over four decades.
No alternative arrangements for Jabarin’s remote participation in the hearing were announced by the European Parliament or French authorities at the time of the visa denial.
