Israel's top court orders deportation of HRW official

Israel's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the deportation of the Jerusalem-based director of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The court gave Omar Shakir 20 days to leave the country or face deportation, according to Israeli daily Haaretz.

Israeli authorities accuse Shakir of supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which Israel has criminalized.

The HRW office director, for his part, argues that the decision was politically driven and aimed to silence human rights organizations working in Israel.

In April, the Jerusalem District Court approved a government decision to cancel the residency visa of Shakir, a U.S. citizen, claiming that he has showed support for the BDS movement.

The move was the first of its kind since the New York-based HRW began monitoring events in Israel and Palestine three decades ago.