The U.N. human rights office said Thursday that the Trump administration’s designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was a “disproportionate and unnecessary restriction” on freedom of speech, warning that it represented an expansive use of the term terrorism and could have a chilling effect on civil liberties.
Washington designated Palestine Action as a terrorist organization Wednesday, saying the move was part of President Donald Trump’s broader effort to crack down on left-wing groups as part of his counterterrorism agenda. Israel’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the designation.
The U.N. human rights office, led by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, said the designation appeared to restrict fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, as well as participation in public affairs.
“Expansive use of the term ‘terrorism’ has been documented to have a chilling effect on civic space,” the office said.
Britain previously banned Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, a move that was also condemned by Türk’s office. The U.K. Supreme Court has said it will hear an appeal of a lower court ruling that Britain’s decision to ban the campaign group as a terrorist organization was lawful.
