The European Palestinian Network (EPN) on Friday canceled the participation of the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) representative at its first joint conference in Denmark, following Israeli pressure and the refusal of other participants to share a panel with Haroon Raza, a Netherlands-based lawyer representing HRF.
According to the organizers, the conference aims to gather experts, organizations, influential personalities and individuals from across Europe “to share and broaden our knowledge and to strengthen European civil, intellectual and professional unity around freedom, rights and justice for Palestine.”
HRF, known for filing legal complaints against IDF soldiers for alleged war crimes, said that Raza had already traveled to Copenhagen for the conference. In a post on X, HRF blamed Israel for spreading “lies” and claimed the decision to exclude its representative was based on false information.
"Information disseminated in the Israeli press falsely linked us to resistance movements in Lebanon and Palestine. Some invitees refused to share a panel with the HRF. As a result, the organizers decided to cancel Mr. Raza," the post read.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
The foundation expressed regret over the incident, saying, "The Hind Rajab Foundation is an independent organization, legally recognized under Belgian law. While our officials and volunteers are entitled to their personal views, our sole mission remains the pursuit of justice and accountability for victims and perpetrators of this ongoing genocide." HRF added that it would decline future invitations to similar events or conferences.
IDF soldier posts video with Palestinian prisoner
Earlier, Ynet reported that HRF had lodged war crimes complaints against an IDF soldier visiting Sweden, and had taken similar actions in Denmark, Finland and Norway in an effort to prevent the soldier from leaving before legal proceedings could begin.
The Diaspora Affairs Ministry recently published a report identifying the HRF founders as Dyab Abou Jahjah and Karim Hassoun, both Lebanese natives currently residing in Belgium.