France has refused to grant an entry visa to Shawan Jabarin, the director of Al-Haq, one of the leading and oldest Palestinian human rights organizations, based in the occupied West Bank. Jabarin was due to travel to France to appear before the European Parliament's Human Rights Committee in Strasbourg, alongside representatives from other Palestinian organizations.
This is the second time Jabarin has been denied entry into France; in October 2025, French authorities rejected his application to renew his Schengen visa, reportedly citing "threats to public order or internal security" without providing any details.
The following quote can be attributed to Bénédicte Jeannerod, France director at Human Rights Watch:
"The French authorities' shameful decision prevented one of the most prominent human rights defenders in Palestine from appearing in person before the European Parliament. It is particularly shocking at a time when Palestinian civil society organizations are facing the combined disastrous effects of the Israeli authorities' attempts to marginalize and destroy them and US sanctions. The French authorities, who host European institutions that work to promote human rights, have a responsibility to facilitate that work, and should not be frustrating it by denying access to human rights defenders."
