On 24 June 2017, President Mahmoud Abbas approved the Law by Decree on Cybercrimes (hereinafter Cybercrimes Decree Law), which had been referred to him by the government on 20 June 2017. The Cybercrimes Decree Law was published in the Palestinian Official Gazette (Issue 14) on 9 July 2017. Article 61 provides that the Cybercrimes Decree Law shall enter into force as of the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.The publication, along with the mechanism used to discuss, approve and publish the Cybercrimes Decree Law, was received with opposition from Palestinian civil society organisations. The whole process was carried out in complete secrecy. Despite demands from civil society organisations to be involved in the discussion, concerned stakeholders including, inter alia, civil society organisations, national institutions, the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, Palestinian Bar Association, and internet service providers, did not review the Law or participate in relevant discussions. With the continued absence of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the authorised legislative body according to the Constitution, these demands still went unanswered. This approach is entirely inconsistent with the government-declared policy articulated in the National Policy Agenda 2017-22: Putting Citizens First. According to this document, the government stresses its commitment to full partnership with, and openness to, civil society.
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