French authorities have refused to grant an entry visa to Shawan Jabarin, the director of Al-Haq, a prominent Palestinian human rights organisation based in the occupied West Bank. He was scheduled to travel to France to participate in a session of the European Parliament’s Human Rights Committee in Strasbourg alongside other Palestinian civil society representatives. This decision has prevented him from engaging directly with European lawmakers on human rights issues.
This is not the first time Jabarin has been denied entry into France. In October 2025, his Schengen visa renewal was rejected by French authorities, who cited unspecified “threats to public order or internal security” without providing further explanation. The repeated refusals have raised concerns among human rights advocates about restrictions on civil society engagement.
Human Rights Watch has strongly criticised the decision, arguing that it undermines the ability of Palestinian human rights defenders to participate in international advocacy forums. The organisation noted that Palestinian civil society is already under significant pressure due to restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities and external sanctions, making international access and visibility even more critical.
Rights groups have emphasized that France, as host to key European institutions promoting human rights, has a responsibility to facilitate the participation of human rights defenders rather than restrict it. They argue that denying entry in such cases weakens international human rights dialogue and limits the representation of affected communities in policymaking spaces.
