16 January 2010
We are shocked at suggestions by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister Ivan Lewis and foreign secretary David Miliband that Britain may consider changing its laws to avoid any future attempts to prosecute suspected war criminals, Israeli or otherwise. The UK must not renege on its international treaty obligations, particularly those under the fourth Geneva convention to seek out and prosecute persons suspected of war crimes wherever and whoever they are, whatever their status, rank or influence, against whom good prima facie evidence has been laid. We reject any attempt to undermine the judiciary’s independence and integrity. A judge who finds sufficient evidence of a war crime must have power to order the arrest of a suspect, subject to the usual rights to bail and appeal.
The power to arrest individuals reasonably suspected of war crimes anywhere in the world should they set foot on UK soil is an efficient and necessary resource in the struggle against war crimes, and must not be interfered with (Report, 6 January). Nor should the government succumb to pressure from any foreign power to alter this crucial aspect of the judicial process. We urge the government to state clearly that it will not alter the law on universal jurisdiction and will continue to allow victims of war crimes to seek justice in British courts.
John Austin MP
Katy Clark MP
Frank Cook MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Ann Cryer MP
Paul Flynn MP
Neil Gerrard MP
John Hemming MP
Paul Holmes MP
Kelvin HopkinsMP
Brian Iddon MP
Lynne Jones MP
Tom Levitt MP
Martin Linton MP
Bob Marshall-Andrews MP
Gordon Prentice MP
Linda Riordan MP
Terry Rooney MP
Baroness Jenny Tonge
Baroness Lindsay Northover
Bob Russell MP
Clare Short MP
Phyllis Starkey MP
Sir David Steel
Sandra White MSP
Derek Wyatt MP
Tayab Ali, Partner, Irvine Thanvi Natas Solicitors
Sir Geoffrey Bindman
Richard Burgon, solicitor
Daniel Carey, Public Interest Lawyers
Ian Cross, solicitor
Jim Duffy, Public Interest Lawyers
Shauna Gillan, barrister, 1 Pump Court
Andrew Gray, solicitor
Tessa Gregory, Public Interest Lawyers
Beth Handly, Partner, Hickman and Rose solicitors
Michael Hagan, solicitor
Michelle Harris, barrister, 1 Pump Court
Susan Harris, solicitor
Jane Hickman, Partner, Hickman and Rose solicitors
Sam Jacobs, Public Interest Lawyers
Salma Karmi-Ayyoub, barrister
Paul Kaufman, solicitor
Aonghus Kelly, Public Interest Lawyers
Daniel Machover, Chair of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights
Michael Mansfield QC
Anna Mazzola, Partner, Hickman and Rose solicitors
Sarah McSherry, Partner, Christian Khan solicitors
Clare Mellor, solicitor
Karen Mitchell, solicitor
Simon Natas, Partner, Irvine Thanvi Natas solicitors
Sophie Naftalin, Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights
Mary Nazzal-Batayneh, Human Rights Legal Aid Fund
Henrietta Phillips, solicitor
William Seymour, solicitor
Navya Shekhar, solicitor
Phil Shiner, Public Interest Lawyers
David Thompson, solicitor
Paul Troop, barrister
Mohammed Abdul-Bari, Secretary-General, Muslim Council of Britain
Anas Altikriti, British Muslim Initiative
Lindsey German, Stop the War Campaign
John Hilary, Director, War on Want
Kate Hudson, Chair, CND
Betty Hunter, General Secretary, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Dan Judelson, Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Hugh Lanning, PCS Deputy General Secretary
John McHugo, Chair, Liberal Democrat Friends of Palestine
Gerry Morrissey, General Secretary, BECTU
Tony Woodley, Joint General Secretary, UNITE.
Kate Allen, Director, Amnesty International UK
Jackie Alsaid LLM
Rachel Bowles
Prof Haim Bresheeth
Dale Egee
Sarah El-Guindi
Deborah Fink
David Halpin
Sharif Hamadeh
Samira Hassassian
Professor Ted Honderich
Victor Kattan
Asad Khan
Miriam Margolyes
Professor Nur Masalha
Professor Steven Rose
Professor Jonathan Rosenhead
Andrew Sanger
Dr Aisha Sarwar
Tareq Shrouru
Tony Woodley, UNITE Joint General Secretary