A student from Yatta Branch wins the International Front Line Defenders Award for human rights defenders

 Samiha Hafez Al-Hareni from Al-Quds Open University in Yatta, and her brother Sami, both residents of Masafer Yatta, won the International Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, for the Middle East and North Africa region for the year 2021.

Dr. Muhammad Al-Hroub, Yatta Director, congratulated Al-Harini for this award, stressing that “the award is important for Palestine, especially in light of the escalation of violence and persecution against the Palestinian people by the occupation and its settlers.

Ms. Al- Hareni commented: "I am happy with this award, through which I was able to convey the suffering of the Palestinian people in general and the Masafer Yatta in particular to international forums," noting that Masafer Yatta in particular is one of the areas that suffer the most, always threatened, and subject to violence and forced displacement by the occupation.

Al-Harini and her brother founded the “Sumoud Youth Group” in 2017, with the aim of defending the human rights of the people in Msafaer Yatta, documenting the crimes of the occupation and exposing them to the world. Her house has been endangered by the occupation through arrests, raids and searches many times.

It is worth noting that the annual Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders was established in 2005, to honor the work of a human rights defender through non-violent action; to contribute to highlighting, promoting and protecting human rights.