United Nations calls for protection of NAZA documentary directors

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for the protection of the directors and families of the documentary NAZA, who have reportedly been targeted by Israeli politicians and activists. The documentary, which received a Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, depicts the actions of the Israeli military in Gaza.

UN spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan condemned the hate speech and incitement to violence directed at the filmmakers, stating, “We condemn all forms of hate speech and incitement to violence directed at the directors of the NAZA documentary in Israel. The safety and freedom of expression of these individuals must be protected.”

Al-Kheetan emphasized that raising alarms about serious human rights violations is not a crime, regardless of whether the violations occur in the occupied Palestinian territories or elsewhere. The UN official urged Israeli authorities to conduct immediate and independent investigations into rights violations and called for full access to all areas of the Gaza Strip for international journalists and human rights observers.