«Il n‘y a pas un monde développé et un monde sous-développé, mais un seul monde mal développé»
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
CETIM, Urgence Palestine, NIDAL
1st December 2025
Following the complaint procedure initiated in June 2025 with UN human rights protection mechanisms, Urgence Palestine, NIDAL and CETIM welcome the appeal1 by five UN Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts2 to the French government concerning the dissolution proceedings initiated against Urgence Palestine and the financial sanctions targeting its members, in particular the freezing of Omar Alsoumi’s assets.
The UN experts express a number of concerns and consider, in particular, that the proposal for dissolution appears to be part of a broader context of ‘criminalisation by the French authorities of individuals or organisations that express any criticism of the State of Israel or their support for the Palestinian people’. Furthermore, with regard to the asset freeze targeting Omar Alsoumi, they consider that such measures risk effectively penalising legitimate pro-Palestinian associations and movements and may contribute to a chilling effect on civil society, leading to self-censorship and the suppression of dissenting opinions.
The experts have asked the Government to provide explanations on a number of points at this stage, requesting that the procedure be suspended in the meantime. Despite the seriousness of the issues raised, the Government has provided a partial and superficial response of three pages3, which fails to address the various points contained in the UN interpellation.
This inquiry constitutes an important legal and political step forward for Urgence Palestine, for French civil society and for all organisations in Western countries that are repressed for their support for the Palestinian people’s struggle for liberation. The concerns expressed by the Rapporteurs highlight the repressive use of an exceptional anti-terrorism regime that is vague and has no basis in either French or international law.
Systemic repression and the attempt to criminalize any support for the legitimate resistance of the Palestinian people represent a blatant failure by the French authorities to meet their national and international human rights obligations. It is worth underlying that beyond France, this repressive and authoritarian wave is underway across most Western countries.
With regard to Urgence Palestine, we remain extremely vigilant: the threat of dissolution has not been withdrawn and may be decided at any time, as evidenced by the new charges now facing our comrade Omar Alsoumi.
We call on the French government to:
Immediately end this unjustified procedure;
Lift the asset freezes and cease the unfounded prosecutions targeting defenders of the Palestinian cause;
Repeal paragraphs 1, 6 and 7 of Article L.212-1 of the Internal Security Code, which contravene its international human rights commitments.
Through legal action and popular mobilization, we will continue to resist the serious and repressive abuses of a government that supports the Israeli regime. We will fight so that those responsible and complicit in the ongoing genocide are brought to justice.
Urgence Palestine, NIDAL and CETIM will continue to defend all the freedoms and rights of the Palestinian people, from the right to resistance to the right to complete self-determination.
Press contact: Raffaele Morgantini, CETIM Representative to the UN, +41796606514, raffaele@cetim.ch
Notes:
2 Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts are independent mechanisms mandated by the UN to address specific human rights issues, investigate violations and report publicly on them. They are among the highest international authorities on the human rights issues covered by their mandate.
