Announcing the Launching of the National Day for Defending Anti-Corruption Fighters

Announcing the Launching of the National Day for Defending Anti-Corruption Fighters

On this day, 11 July, Palestinian civil society organizations are launching the National Day for Defending Anti-Corruption Fighters. This will become an annual Palestinian event to enhance the defense of Palestinian anti-corruption fighters.

This national day was introduced to defend those who work to counter corruption and raise societal awareness of the importance of combating it. This contributes to expanding popular engagement and participation in defending anti-corruption fighters and helping them achieve their objectives. This includes confronting the executive authority’s attempts to use state powers and resources to punish and harass anti-corruption fighters due to the latter’s disclosure of corruption cases (instead of using state powers and institutions to prosecute corrupt parties and hold them accountable for their crimes). This national day acknowledges and honors the journalists, civil society activists, and public sector employees who play a constructive and exemplary role in strengthening anti-corruption actions.

This annual celebration is a chance to appreciate the ongoing efforts of anti-corruption fighters towards establishing a State ruled by law and ensuring that state institutions are effective and held accountable in a way that promotes social justice principles. This bolsters integrity and anti-corruption in the management of public affairs and funds, with open cooperation with civil society institutions. The National Day for Defending Anti-Corruption Fighters upholds the values of citizenship enshrined in Palestinian Declaration of Independence, which highlights the citizens’ ownership of the State and their participation in building the society’s cultural identity and nature of the State, as well as promoting equal rights among citizens. This also promotes the public freedoms stipulated in the Palestinian Basic Law, such as respecting the freedom of opinion and expression, right to peaceful assembly, and ensuring respect for the work of civil society organizations and the media. 

Palestinian anti-corruption fighters, both individuals and organizations, strive for public interests and uphold them greatly. They work relentlessly to raise public awareness of the fight against corruption and improve the formulated policies. They also aim to contribute to the adoption of suitable national strategies and plans. These fighters constantly call for activating the official accountability systems. Furthermore, they actively engage in social accountability in order to hold corrupt parties accountable, prevent impunity, and expose corruption cases.

This day, i.e., 11 July, was chosen to coincide with the day when the representatives of the Coalition of Accountability and Integrity (AMAN) and their Defense Team presented the Statement of Defense in the face of a complaint submitted by the Palestinian Presidential Bureau. Representatives of AMAN were brought before the Magistrate Court of Ramallah simply due to AMAN’s disclosure (in its annual report of 2022, titled “Status of Integrity and Anti-corruption in Palestine”) of suspicions regarding the abuse of public positions (by some officials) for whitening settlement dates.

Signatory Institutions: