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The Observatory has been informed of sanctions imposed by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Addameer). Addameer is a Palestinian civil society organisation that provides legal aid to Palestinian political prisoners held in Israeli and Palestinian prisons. It also engages in national and international advocacy and works to end torture and other violations of prisoners' rights through monitoring, legal procedures, and solidarity campaigns.
On 10 June 2025, the OFAC, acting under Executive order 13224, announced sanctions against five individuals and five civil society organisations allegedly involved in terrorist financing. The Observatory makes no statement regarding the other nine individuals and entities sanctioned. With respect to Addameer, however, the designation appears to be based on politically motivated and unverified allegations of affiliation with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
According to the U.S. Treasury press release, Addameer’s designation is based on vague and unsubstantiated allegations of affiliation with other previously sanctioned organisations. These accusations appear to originate from a longstanding smear campaign led by Israeli right-wing groups, whose politically motivated claims have repeatedly been discredited by international experts. No credible or public evidence has been presented to support the U.S. sanctions, and Addameer was not accused of any ties to Hamas.
These sanctions block all property and interests of Addameer under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit transactions by U.S. persons. This effectively cuts part of Addameer’s funding and affects its ability to provide legal support and protection for Palestinian detainees, which increases the risk of abuse and human rights violations.
The Observatory recalls that this is not the first attempt to criminalise Addameer’s work. In October 2021, the Israeli authorities designated Addameer and five other leading Palestinian civil society organisations as "terrorist” entities, a move widely condemned by the UN human rights experts and international civil society as baseless and politically motivated.
The Observatory strongly condemns this ongoing pattern of attacks on Palestinian civil society through the misuse of counter-terrorism frameworks. These practices were already denounced in 2021 by UN experts, who called on the Israeli authorities to end their misuse of anti-terrorism legislation to suppress leading civil society organisations in Palestine.
The Observatory is particularly alarmed by the direct impact of these sanctions on Palestinian prisoners, who rely on Addameer’s legal aid and monitoring. Reports by UN experts in 2024 pointed to a rise in the use of torture and ill-treatment in Israeli custody since October 2023. Restricting Addameer’s operations removes a key layer of protection for detainees and worsens their vulnerability.
The Observatory urges U.S. authorities to immediately lift these sanctions, which contribute to the shrinking of Palestinian civic space and the broader persecution of Palestinian human rights organisations and defenders.
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