RAJI SOURANI has been dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory throughout his professional career, despite the personal and professional sacrifices he has been forced to make in the process. He has been an active lawyer since qualifying in 1977 and has represented a wide range of victims of human rights abuses. He has received many honors during his career, the most recent of which is the “Right Livelihood Award” for 2013.
Despite periods of political imprisonment in Israel, years of harassment and violence from the Israeli military, and harassment from the Palestinian Authority and other Palestinian groups, Sourani has maintained an unwavering commitment to human rights. He has been an advocate for basic human rights standards, both at a domestic and international level, and has refused to curtail his outspoken criticisms of failures by Israel, the Palestinian Authority, political groups and other states to adhere to human rights standards.
Despite the obstacles faced, Sourani continues to promote and protect human rights through the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, which he founded in 1995 with a group of fellow lawyers and human rights activists in the Gaza Strip. Sourani has spearheaded this award-winning center since its establishment and continues to ensure the center provides legal and other services to victims of human rights abuses in the Gaza Strip, thus enabling them to seek justice and reparation.
A committed family man, Sourani has been blessed with an equally committed and understanding family, providing love and encouragement through the worst of times. Sourani’s wife, in particular, has proved to be the strongest source of support, despite the often great sacrifices that his work has brought into their lives.
Throughout the recent challenges presented during the years of the Second Intifada and during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip (Operation Cast Lead), Sourani has remained stalwart in his determination that the center will continue to provide services to the maximum number of victims. He has managed to achieve this aim and the center continues to respond effectively to the challenges faced in the Gaza Strip and throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory.