Human Rights Watch regrets Ariel Sharon's death without facing justice

Human Rights Watch has issued a statement on Saturday saying it regrets that Israel’s former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has died “without facing justice for his role in the massacres of hundreds and perhaps thousands of civilians by Lebanese militias in the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in Lebanon in 1982”.

The organization’s Director of Middle East and North Africa Division, Sarah Leah Whitson said that Sharon’s passing is “a grim reminder that years of virtual impunity for rights abuses have done nothing to bring Israeli-Palestinian peace any closer”. “For the thousands of victims of abuses, Sharon’s passing without facing justice magnifies their tragedy”, Whitson said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian refugees in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon, Lebanon have celebrated Sharon’s passing on Saturday by singing in the streets while Palestinians in the Gaza Strip handed out sweets to passers-by in celebration.

The former Israeli MP body will lie in state at the Israeli Parliament; Knesset on Sunday, before a state memorial service takes place on Monday.

Source: Almesryoon