Istanbul Declaration in Defence of the Rights of the Palestinian People
The Second International Legal Conference — Istanbul, 12 July 2026
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
In light of the genocide and discriminatory policies to which the Palestinian people are being subjected in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem, and in view of the continued obstruction by the Israeli occupying authorities of the entry of humanitarian relief and reconstruction materials into the Gaza Strip,
We, the undersigned, hereby declare our full commitment to the following:
1. To work towards achieving justice for the Palestinian people and defending their rights to freedom, independence and self-determination.
2. To affirm the right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves, their land and their rights against occupation through all forms of resistance permitted under international law.
3. To work towards ensuring that the occupying authorities are held accountable for and fulfil their legal obligations towards the Palestinian people.
4. To pledge to continue working, in accordance with international law and international instruments, to hold accountable all those involved in genocide — including political and military officials, as well as their supporters among governments and corporations — to bring them before international justice, and to reaffirm our unequivocal rejection of impunity.
5. To pledge our support for international justice institutions and to defend the International Criminal Court, its Prosecutor and its judges, who have been subjected to targeting and sanctions.
6. To affirm that justice and the rule of law must apply equally to all, free from selectivity, discrimination and political pressure. No one is above the law.
7. To call upon all lawyers, legal professionals, human rights defenders and all those committed to justice, rights and peace worldwide to fulfil their duty to defend the rights of the Palestinian people and of all peoples subjected to aggression.
The signatories affirm that the world cannot enjoy peace and stability without justice.
They further affirm that holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring the equal application of justice without discrimination contribute to preventing genocide and crimes against humanity, and that a just resolution of the Palestinian question, together with the full enjoyment by the Palestinian people of their rights, is essential to contributing to international peace and security.
Issued in Istanbul — 12 July 2026