32 2.1.9 Human rights defenders Overall, human rights defenders experience a set of violations and harassments committed by government bodies and other nongovernmental actors. In some cases, these abuses can be as grave as murder, abduction, detention, torture, threat, harm of one’s family, and defamation. Women’s rights defenders are subjected to various forms of harassment by social movements and religious and political parties. These consider that defence of women’s rights is in conflict with religion, aligns with goals of the West, and defies Arab customs and traditions. Women’s rights defenders are further accused of propagating vice and destroying family. Allegations targeted the feminist movement in general, as well as individual women’s right defenders. Sometimes, infringements amounted to death threats, abuse, or sexual harassment. In the context, a smear and incitement campaign continued against the feminist movement because it demanded that the State of Palestine approve the Law on Family Protection from Violence and publish the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in the Palestinian Official Gazette. Social, political and religious parties and movements accused feminists of propagating vice, subordination to the West, and pursuit of funding. Feminists were also verbally insulted, defamed, and targeted by instigation. According to the ICHR monitoring, Ms. Sama Aweidah, Director General of the Women’s Studies Centre, was subjected to defamation and incitement on grounds of her position towards CEDAW. She was alleged to be “the senior vandal, seeking to dismantle Palestinian society and promote adultery or elopement.” The allegation was posted on social media sites of the Public Movement for Tearing CEDAW Down. A review of the legislative framework demonstrates that a national strategy for the protection of human rights defenders has not been developed. The legal system includes a set of provisions, which guarantee “general” protection to many groups, which can fall under the definition of human rights defenders. A legal basis of accountability is already established under effective criminal regulations and Palestinian Basic Law. Accountability tools are also available, including Public Prosecution, courts, However, no tangible progress was made towards holding violations to account. So limited as it is, accountability has been confined to some investigations into claims of torture and ill-treatment, resulting in no criminal convictions of culprits. The Public Prosecution did not institute a criminal case against persons, who incited violence against women’s rights defenders.17 17 Interview with Ms. Sama Aweidah, Director General of the Women’s Studies Centre, 20 February 2023. Ms. Aweidah stated that she filed a complaint to the Cybercrimes Prosecution and met with Attorney General. However, no action was taken against violators. The Status of Human Rights in Palestine