Tag: 1948 Genocide Convention

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People’s tribunals, and the roots of civil society justice by Richard Falk

Most recently, in September 2014, in response to the Israeli attack on Gaza, given the name Operation Protective Edge, the Russell Foundation convened an event in Brussels in which a jury of conscience listened to evidence, and particularly considered charges of ‘genocide’ put forward by critics of the attack…

It should also be observed that the Brussels Tribunal failed to uphold the most serious charge leveled against Israel in relation to Protective Edge, that the massive assault carried out against the defenseless civilian population of Gaza constituted genocide. On the basis of the evidence presented, the jury in Brussels did agree that Israel was guilty of the lesser crime of ‘Incitement to Genocide’ as set forth in Article 3(c) of the Genocide Convention.  It also agreed that the additional treaty duty to prevent genocide had been definitely violated by Israeli behavior during Protective Edge…

Continue reading at https://www.opendemocracy.net/opensecurity/richard-falk/people’s-tribunals-and-roots-of-civil-society-justice

TAKE ACTION now and write a letter to the UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the International Criminal Court Prosecutor. Make sure to post a copy of the letter in our comments as well, so we can publish it.
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United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, still avoiding his responsibility towards the Palestinian people (UN News Center, 2014)

Not a single country is immune to the risk of genocide, said the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide today as he marked the 66th anniversary of the signing of the 1948 Genocide Convention. “As we continue to fight and to realize the objectives, we pay tribute to the millions of men and women who have lost their lives to genocide,” said Mr. Adama Dieng as he briefed reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, as part of a series of events in the run-up to Human Rights Day, commemorated annually on 10 December.

“We owe to them and to ourselves and future generations to realize a world free of genocide. We are still far from that, but we aim to make it happen,” he added. “Genocide must and can be prevented if we have the will of applying the lessons learned from Rwanda, Srebrenica, and the Holocaust. It is important to identify risk factors that would lead to genocide rather than to wait to when people are being killed…”

Answering a question on Gaza, he said he was not here to make a legal determination of genocide but analyse the risk of genocide. Last summer’s conflict may have led to crimes against humanity or war crimes. He was aware of Israel’s disproportionate military response. But when you send rockets from a civilian area, like Hamas did, that is a crime as well.

Continue reading at http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=49556#.VIg9A2SUchM

TAKE ACTION now and write a letter to the UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. Make sure to post a copy of the letter in our comments as well, so we can publish it.