French Visa Denial Blocks Palestinian Rights Director from EU Parliament Speech

French authorities have barred a leading Palestinian human rights advocate from entering the country. Shawan Jabarin was scheduled to address the European Parliament's human rights committee in Strasbourg this past Tuesday. Jabarin is the general director of Al-Haq, a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in the West Bank. The group documents alleged human rights violations. It is currently under U.S. sanctions, which accuse it of ties to a militant group. The visa denial prevented his appearance before the EU committee. French officials have not publicly detailed their reasons for rejecting his application.