16 November 2010
Shubhaa Srinivasan Leigh Day & Co partner, has been invited to join the second international session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RToP) which will consider "International corporate complicity in Israel’s Violations of International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law and War Crimes" to be held in London on 20-21 at the Law Society. Shubhaa will be a member of a team of experienced legal clerks who will assist the Tribunal jury members in assessing the evidence heard, formulating questions to witnesses who will give evidence and the conclusions to be reached by the Jury at the end of the session. The Jury's Conclusions and Findings will be presented at a press conference on 22nd November at Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre.
The Russell Tribunal on Palestine is an international citizen-based Tribunal of conscience created in response to the demands of civil society. Over the past three years, a number of international bodies, including the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice have concluded that aspects of Israel's conduct violate international law, the RToP was initiated by a large group of citizens involved in the promotion of peace and justice in the Middle East. The First RToP Session was held in Barcelona in March 2010 which looked at whether the EU and its member states have breached specific rules of international law which require the EU and its member states to respond to violations of international law committed by Isreal. The second session in London will specifically look at international corporate complicity in Israel's violations of international human rights/humanitarian laws.
During the London session, the jury will hear evidence from witnesses touching on a number of allegations including :
- Corporations providing tangible services and infrastructure that support illegal Israeli settlements and the occupation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
- Foreign banks and other financial institutions providing financial services to illegal settlements and Israeli banks etc. trading abroad who provide financial services to illegal settlements.
- Foreign companies that manufacture products inside the settlements and industrial zones in the West Bank and Israeli companies that export agricultural and other products from the settlements and industrial zones in the West Bank,
- Foreign companies who may be involved in the export of arms and the infrastructure of war, occupation, colonisation and repression in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israeli companies that export arms and repressive hardware/knowledge abroad
- Evidence from various businesses and multinational corporations invited to attend the session.
There is an impressive array of legal speakers (including Richard Hermer QC, Yasmine Gado & Dr William Bourdon) and witnesses who will give oral evidence (Palestinian, US, UK and Israeli NGOs such Al Haq, Centre for Constitutional Rights, Statewatch, Ireland-Plaestine Solidarity Campaign, War on Want, "Who Profits from the Occupation" and many others).
The international Jury members include Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Nobel Pece Laureate, 1976, Northern Ireland), John Dugard (Professor of International Law, Former Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories, South Africa), Michael Mansfield QC (Barrister and President of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, UK), Aminata Traore (author and former Minister of Culture of Mali), José Antonio Martin Pallin (emeritus judge, Chamber II, Supreme Court, Spain) and many other eminent politicians and writers.
Information was correct at time of publishing. See terms and conditions for further details.
Information was correct at time of publishing. See terms and conditions for further details.