The Independent Commission for Human Rights calls to "conduct a transparent investigation" into claims that PA Security Forces use Facebook to spy on Palestinian civilians

ICHR calls on the government and the Attorney General to conduct a transparent investigation concerning the facts

mentioned in the Facebook

ICHR calls on the government and the Attorney General to conduct a transparent investigation concerning the facts mentioned in the Facebook statement about the internet hack in Palestine

The Independent Commission for Human Rights followed the statement issued by the "Facebook" / Department of cyber espionage investigations, on April 21, 2021, in which it said that it had taken measures against internet hackers in Palestine.

According to the aforementioned statement, Facebook monitored that piracy groups affiliated with the Preventive Security Service in the West Bank, and others known as "The Arid Viper", were carrying out hostile activities aimed at breaching the privacy of Palestinian citizens, mainly in the West Bank. The targets included Journalists, government opponents, human rights activists and officials in the Palestinian Authority and Fatah.

The Commission looks with great concern at the Facebook statement, given what it poses as a serious threat to the citizens ’ natural right to privacy and inviolability of their private lives, which are guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law. Violating these rights constitute a crime in which neither the arising criminal nor the civil lawsuit is subject to the statute of limitations.

Accordingly, the Independent Commission calls on the Palestinian government and Attorney General of State of Palestine to conduct a transparent investigation into all the facts mentioned in the aforementioned Facebook statement and any other breaches to initiate the legal steps accordingly. We also call on the Palestinian government in particular to take immediate measures to protect the privacy of citizens and the sanctity of their private lives.