Activists in Spain launch campaign to prosecute Israel for crimes against Palestinians

People gather at the Freedom Square in the city of Reus, in the province of Tarragona, Spain on April 30, 2023. (Photo by Wafa news agency)

Activists have launched a campaign in the Spanish city of Reus, calling on the international community to hold the Israeli regime accountable for its crimes against the people of Palestine. 

The Palestinian Arab Community Association and the city’s municipality organized the campaign at the Freedom Square in Reus in the province of Tarragona on Sunday, Palestine’s official Wafa news agency reported.

Husni Abdel Wahed, the head of the Palestinian Authority's mission to Spain, Monsey Flores, the mayor of Reus, Spanish MPs and members of the Palestinian and Arab communities in Spain were in attendance.

Amina Shoman, head of the Palestinian Community in Reus, said the activists aim to collect as many signatures as possible to prosecute the regime for committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians.  

Tarragona’s deputy mayor, Paula Varas, also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian cause, denouncing all the crimes committed by the occupying regime against Palestinians and calling for an immediate end to them.

This is not the first time that a mayor of a Spanish city condemns Israeli crimes against Palestinians.

Back in February, the mayor of Barcelona announced the suspension of ties with Tel Aviv over Israel's violation of the Palestinian people's rights in a "systematic" manner.

Ada Colau announced the decision in a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stressing that the city would suspend relations until Israel ended the “systematic violation of the people of Palestine’s human rights.”

According to the mayor, the decision was made after 100 groups and more than 4,000 residents had signed a request to break relations with the apartheid regime.

The Palestinian foreign ministry as well as pro-Palestinian rights groups hailed Barcelona's decision at the time.  

The Israeli regime has killed hundreds of Palestinians who oppose the occupation of their lands by the regime since the 1967 war.

The Israeli regime grants special status to illegal settlers and applies many Israeli laws to them; however, Palestinians do not have the same legal rights and protections. Human rights groups have stressed that Israel is committing the international crime of apartheid by systematically denying Palestinians equal rights.