Organizations in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine call for G4S boycott

On Palestinian Prisoners Day

Boycott G4S due to its complicity in Israel’s repression of the Palestinian people and its prisoners

Statement issued on 16 April 2013 (original in Arabic)

We, civic and human rights organizations of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, in mobilization for Palestinian Prisoners’ Day this year, call for the boycott of the G4S company in the Arab World because of its involvement in Israeli occupation and oppression.

G4S is a multinational company providing private security services. Among its services, G4S, through its Israeli subsidiary, Hashmira, provides equipment for Israeli occupation checkpoints and for settlements in the West Bank. G4S provided equipment for Ofer prison, located in the occupied West Bank, including defense and command and control equipment. G4S equally provided the Gilmeh interrogation centre with security systems. And they have provided equipment and services for the West Bank Israeli Police headquarters and Israeli interrogation centers, known for their practice of torture and ill-treatment of detainees.

Considering that G4S did not comply with Palestinian demands to cease its involvement in Israeli crimes and human rights violations and in Israel’s Apartheid regime,

Believing that human rights are obligatory for both governments and businesses, namely multinational corporations,

And seeking to end the injustice that the Palestinian people and its prisoners are facing;

We, the civic and human rights organizations of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, demand the following:

- The boycott by companies and by individuals of G4S and the cessation of existing business with it

- The exclusion of G4S from State public and private tenders;

- The Regional Arab Boycott Bureaus to reach consensus on prohibiting the work of G4S in the Arab world, in light of the postponement of this decision in their last meeting;

- The European Union to abandon G4S in the management of its facilities, namely in its diplomatic missions in the Arab World. We remind the European Union that the European Parliament decided not renewed its contract for security services with G4S due to its work and complicity with Israeli prisons and its work in the settlements.

Time is long overdue to break this chain of international business complicity in Israeli violation of international law, such as that of G4S.

Signatory organizations (up until April 15, 2013)

Egypt

Egypt The Egyptian Center for Economic & Social Rights
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Hisham Mubarak Law Center
Act Egypt
The Egyptian Association for Community Participation Enhancement
Misryon Against Religious Discrimination
Egyptian Foundation for Advancement of Childhood Conditions
Association for Freedom for Thought and Expression

Lebanon

Arab NGO Network for Development
Palestinian NGO forum working among the Palestinian community in Lebanon
Amel Association
Saida NGO Platform
Center for Refugee Rights (Aidoun)
Nasawiya
Anti-Racism Movement
Campaign for the Boycott of Supporters of “Israel” in Lebanon
Association Najdeh

Jordan

Daem for Consulting and Training (Tamkeen)
Ahel

Palestine

Palestine Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network
Addameer - Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association
Women Media and Development (TAM)