Bader Mosleh
Bader Mosleh was a dedicated Palestinian disability rights human rights defender who spent his life advocating for the rights of people with disabilities in Gaza under the Israeli occupation. His commitment to raising awareness about the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments, was unwavering.
Bader Mosleh was a powerful and consistent voice for the rights of persons with disabilities. He collaborated with various local and international human rights organisations to amplify his advocacy efforts. His impactful leadership extended to numerous volunteer initiatives and training sessions focused on promoting the human rights of individuals with disabilities.
Tragically, on 7 December 2023, Bader Mosleh was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, leaving behind a legacy of courage and dedication to the cause of disability rights. He was 39 years old and a father of three children.
Human rights defenders in the OPT are subjected to acts of harassment, restrictions on freedom of movement, stigmatisation, abductions, long periods of arbitrary detention usually under administrative detention orders, illegal searches of their homes and offices and killings. Many of the violations are state-sanctioned, or if not sanctioned at the highest levels of the Israeli political and military establishment, then condoned by the ongoing policy of impunity which permeates the military and judicial system in relation to the OPT. In some instances Israeli settlers have also been the perpetrators of violence against human rights defenders.
