By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan
GENEVA (AA) - The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) spokesperson called for an independent investigation into the Israeli killing of Turkish American activist in the occupied West Bank.
Ravina Shamdasani told Anadolu that Aysenur Ezgi Eygi did not pose an imminent threat to Israeli forces.
“We are insisting that Israel needs to, at the first instance, investigate this killing (Eygi's death) and all other unlawful killings. In the absence of a credible investigation by Israel, we would insist on an independent international investigation into the violations that have been committed in the Palestinian territory,” Shamdasani said.
There have been many incidents in the West Bank where people have been killed during peaceful protests, including the elderly and disabled, she added.
“I think we all share the feelings of anger, outrage, and sadness over the killing of this young woman who was peacefully advocating for the rights of Palestinians and peacefully pushing against settler violence and illegal settlements in the West Bank,” Shamdasani said.
She said Eygi's case is “extremely tragic but it is not an isolated incident.”
“Her case is emblematic of the systematic use of lethal force in the West Bank against peaceful protesters and other Palestinians as well,” Shamdasani said.
Emphasizing that Israeli attacks are “unacceptable”, she stressed that the “outpouring of outrage” over the killing of Eygi must continue.
“The international community must continue to put pressure on Israel to investigate and ensure that such actions never happen again,” she added.
- Aysenur Ezgi Eygi killed by Israeli soldiers
Eygi, 26, a dual US and Turkish national, was fatally shot by Israeli forces last Friday during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements in Beita, a town just outside of Nablus.
Witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers opened fire on demonstrators. Though she was standing away from the main protest area, she was fatally shot in the head. Despite being rushed to a hospital, medical workers were unable to save her.
Eygi, born in Antalya, Türkiye, in 1998, graduated in June from the University of Washington, where she studied psychology and Middle Eastern languages and cultures.
She arrived in the West Bank last Tuesday to volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement as part of an effort to support and safeguard Palestinian farmers.
*Writing by Efe Ozkan