Ex-New York judge named to UN panel assessing war crimes in Gaza

Mary McGowan Davis is third member of panel formed out of Palestinian resolution. She replaces attorney Amal Alamuddin....

A former New York judge has been appointed the third member of a United Nations panel looking into whether Israel has committed war crimes in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

Mary McGowan Davis was named to the panel by the head of the UN Human Rights Council, Gabon Ambassador Baudelaire Ndong Ella, the Associated Press reported.

The council launched the commission of inquiry on July 23 accepting a Palestinian-drafted resolution.

McGowan joins William Schabas and Doudou Diène on the committee, which is expected to deliver a report next March.

The Israeli government has condemned the UN council's decision to form the panel, saying that Hamas should be the subject of the inquiry. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement at the time that Hamas was "committing a double war crime by firing rockets at Israeli civilians while hiding behind Palestinian civilians. …"

Schabas, who chairs the panel, is a professor of international criminal law and human rights, the UN council said in an August 11 statement announcing the members.

Diène from 2002 to 2008 was the UN's "Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance," the statement said.

On the panel, McGowan replaces Amal Alamuddin, a U.K. attorney and the fiancé of the actor George Clooney. Alamuddin, who the UN said is a specialist in international law and human rights, decided not to serve on the panel, citing her current commitments.

Israel in 2009 faced a similar investigation from the Goldstone Committee, led by the South African judge Richard Goldstone. That panel's report, released in September 2009, harshly criticized Israel's conduct during its 2008 conflict with Hamas in Gaza.   
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.612415
25/8/14
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Syrie : une "action punitive" pourrait aggraver le conflit, selon l'ONU. -Le secrétaire général des Nations unies,Ban Ki-moon, a mis en garde les pays occidentaux...

Une intervention militaire en Syrie contre le régime de Bachar Al-Assad est apparue un peu plus probable, mardi 3 septembre. Aux Etats-Unis, le président Barack Obama a fortement progessé dans ses efforts pour obtenir un feu vert du Congrès américain. Et en France, François Hollande a réaffirmé sa détermination à agir, à la veille du débat parlementaire sans vote. Face à ce volontarisme affiché, le secrétaire général des Nations unies, Ban Ki-moon, a mis en garde contre les risques d'une "action punitive". Francetv info vous résume les principaux éléments à retenir de cette journée.

Sur le plan diplomatique...

A l'ONU. Le secrétaire général de l'ONU, Ban Ki-moon, a mis en garde mardi soir contre les risques d'une "action punitive" en Syrie. "Nous devons considérer l'impact qu'aurait une action punitive sur les efforts pour empêcher d'autres effusions de sang et faciliter un règlement politique du conflit", a-t-il déclaré à la presse.....http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/revolte-en-syrie/direct-syrie-la-france-n-enverra-pas-de-troupes-au-sol_402817.html#xtor=RSS-3-[lestitres]
3/9/13
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• UN chief warns U.S. strike on Syria could unleash more turmoil...

Ban Ki-moon adds that Strike on Syria is illegal unless done in self-defense or with Security Council approval.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned Tuesday that any "punitive" action taken against Syria for an alleged chemical weapons attack last week could unleash more turmoil and bloodshed in that nation's civil war.

Ban also cautioned nations such as the United States and France that may be considering such strikes that they are legal only in self-defense under the UN Charter or if approved by the UN Security Council.

He said that if UN inspectors confirm the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the Security Council, which has long been deadlocked on the two-and-a-half-year Syrian civil war, should overcome its differences and take action.

"If confirmed, any use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances will be a serious violation of international law and outrageous war crime," he told reporters. "Any perpetrators must be brought to justice. There should be no impunity." .....http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.545260
3/9/13

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• «Σκιές» στη νομιμότητα αμερικανικής επιχείρησης στη Συρία από τον Μπαν Κι Μουν. -«Αναγκαία η δράση του ΣΑ του ΟΗΕ» εάν επιβεβαιωθεί η χρήση χημικών όπλων. 

 Η χρήση βίας είναι νόμιμη μόνον όταν πρόκειται για αυτοάμυνα ή για δράση στο πλαίσιο του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας των Ηνωμένων Εθνών, δήλωσε την Τρίτη ο γενικός γραμματέας του ΟΗΕ, Μπαν Κι Μουν, σε σχόλιο το οποίο θεωρείται έμμεση αμφισβήτηση της νομιμότητας μιας αμερικανικής επιχείρησης βομβαρδισμού της Συρίας χωρίς συναίνεση από πλευράς του οργανισμού.

Ο κ. Μπαν πρόσθεσε ότι, εάν οι επιθεωρητές του ΟΗΕ επιβεβαιώσουν τη χρήση χημικών όπλων στη Συρία, το Συμβούλιο Ασφαλείας, το οποίο είναι μπλοκαρισμένο λόγω διαφωνιών τα τελευταία δυόμιση χρόνια σε ό,τι αφορά τον συριακό εμφύλιο πόλεμο, θα πρέπει να αναλάβει δράση.


«Εάν επιβεβαιωθεί, θα πρόκειται για σοβαρότατη παραβίαση του διεθνούς δικαίου και εξωφρενικό έγκλημα πολέμου», ανέφερε μιλώντας σε δημοσιογράφους.

• Πρόσθεσε δε ότι οι αυτουργοί τέτοιας πράξης πρέπει να οδηγηθούν στη δικαιοσύνη και δεν θα έπρεπε να σημειωθούν φαινόμενα ατιμωρησίας.

Πηγή: Reuters
naftemporiki.gr
3/9/13 
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• Former UN head against military solution to Syrian conflict...

STOCKHOLM, September 3 (Itar-Tass) - Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan opposes a military solution to the Syrian conflict. He made this statement delivering a lecture at Uppsala University on Monday evening.

According to Annan, the international community must stop the bloodshed, in order “to reach a political agreement and free the Syrians from the terror in which they live.” The politician believes that the international community had a chance to stop the civil war in Syria last summer. “Instead, the leaders began to quarrel and blame each other,” he stressed.

“Today, there is a debate that is necessary to punish those who had used chemical weapons in Syria. This is unacceptable and cruel. We need to deal with all those responsible,” Annan stated.
3/9/13

Francisco: “Una sociedad más justa no es una utopía”

El Papa visitó el Teatro Municipal de Río, donde llamó a quienes tienen algún papel de responsabilidad a “defender el futuro”.

En su sexto día en la capital carioca y luego de celebrar una misa en la Catedral Metropolitana, junto con dignatarios de la Iglesia Católica, el papa Francisco se dirigió al Teatro Municipal, uno de los grandes teatros líricos de Brasil, donde están presentes autoridades políticas y dirigentes empresariales de Brasil. Allí, el Sumo Pontífice les señaló: “Todos aquellos que poseen un papel de responsabilidad, en una nación, son llamados a defender el futuro con los ojos calmos de quien sabe ver la verdad”.

"La fraternidad entre los hombres y la colaboración para construir una sociedad más justa no constituyen una utopia", agregó el Papa.


Francisco dijo, también, “un país crece cuando su riqueza cultural dialoga de manera constructiva” y llamó a “la humildad social que favorece el diálogo”.

Advirtió que es “imposible imaginar un futuro para la sociedad sin una vigorosa contribución de las energías morales, en una democracia que evite el riesgo de quedar cerrada en la pura lógica de la representación de los intereses constituidos”.

La actividad del Papa en la capital carioca, a través de la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud, mueve la mayor cantidad de turistas de la historia. Más de 2 millones de personas, que vienen de todo Brasil, de Argentina y de toda América, como también de Europa, Asia, Africa y Oceanía, han ocupado la avenida Atlántica de Copacabana, aquella que los brasileños llaman de “tarjeta postal” del país, por su belleza natural y arquitectónica.
 http://www.clarin.com/mundo/Francisco-sociedad-justa-utopia_0_963504004.html
27/7/13

Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Act Introduced in U.S. House

WASHINGTON, DC –
As Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Erdogan continues his official U.S. state visit, a bipartisan group of U.S. Representatives introduced the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Act, a new measure calling upon the President to build upon the U.S. record of having recognized the Armenian Genocide by working toward improved Armenian-Turkish relations based upon the Republic of Turkey’s full acknowledgement of the facts and ongoing consequences of the Armenian Genocide, and a fair, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“We welcome today’s introduction of the Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Act,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “This innovative bipartisan initiative, building upon the U.S. record of having recognized the Armenian Genocide, calls for a new U.S. approach to Armenian-Turkish ties that reflects our America values and recognizes that our national interests require an end to Turkey’s denials and a truthful, just, and comprehensive international resolution of this crime.”


The Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Act, introduced by Representatives Michael Grimm (R-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), David Valadao (R-CA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), reflects and reinforces previous U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide as a crime of genocide, citing the U.S. Government’s May 28, 1951 written statement to the International Court of Justice regarding the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, President Ronald Reagan’s April 22, 1981 Proclamation and Congressional adoption of Armenian Genocide legislation in 1975 and 1984.

“Almost a century ago, over a million Armenian men, women, and innocent children were mercilessly put to death by forces of the Ottoman Empire in a horrifying attempt to wipe them from the face of the earth,” said Rep. Grimm. “The U.S. has tirelessly defended justice and human rights throughout the world, and we have a solemn duty to recognize, once and for all, the injustices of the Armenian Genocide. On behalf of the Armenian community in New York City, I am proud to join with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in introducing Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice Act.”

“The facts of history are well-settled – 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children were deliberately murdered in the first genocide of the 20th Century,” Rep. Schiff said. “With each passing day, we lose a few more of the dwindling number of survivors. We should all feel a powerful sense of urgency, and the profound call of moral duty to recognize the Armenian Genocide unequivocally and without delay.”

Congressman Valadao stated, “Many of those able to flee during the genocide immigrated to the United States and settled in California. Today, their families continue to grow, thrive, and instill their cultural heritage in their adopted communities. However, the sense of loss as a result of these horrific acts runs deep as many Armenian-Americans in my district personally know a friend or family member who was unable to escape the genocide. We must ensure that the United States government properly acknowledges what so many already know to be true.”

“The time for the U.S. to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide is long overdue,” said Congressman Frank Pallone, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. “Armenia stands as a resilient ally of the United States and a nation dedicated to democracy and regional stability, and the Resolution introduced today shows that we will not stand idly by when the truth of this genocide is distorted by the Turkish government.”

Read more: http://mignatiou.com/?p=3699#ixzz2TdMVEX5L
17/5/13
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Related:

1. Turkish premier: Israel must return to '67 borders....

2. Turkey on way of being global power....

3. The Greek-Armenian relations 

   

U.N. Court Frees Former Leader of Kosovo

PARIS — A United Nations war crimes tribunal on Thursday acquitted the former prime minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, for the second time of torturing and killing Serb civilians while he was a commander of the NATO-backed Kosovo Liberation Army during its fight for independence in 1999. 

Two of his comrades, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, were also acquitted, although Mr. Brahimaj has already served a six-year sentence for torture handed down in an earlier trial. The judges ordered the three men released immediately.

Supporters cheered and applauded in the courtroom’s public gallery in The Hague, where proceedings were broadcast via videostream.

The men were expected to return later in the day to Kosovo, where Mr. Haradinaj’s supporters — even before the verdict — said they hoped he would return to politics. In Serbia, which is involved in crucial talks with Kosovo, a former Serbian province before the war, the decision was expected to provoke a new wave of angry reactions.

Earlier this month, the tribunal enraged the Belgrade government and many Serbs, when an appeals chamber threw out the convictions of two Croatian generals, Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac. They had led a 1995 military campaign that recaptured Serb-occupied Croatian land and drove more than 150,000 Serbs from Croatia.

The overturning of the Croatian and now the Kosovo convictions are seen as serious setbacks for the prosecution. It has said in recent days that it will seek a review of the Croatian appeals ruling, in which two of the five judges wrote unusually sharp dissents. 

.nytimes.com

29/11/12 
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ΚΚΕ: Καμία έκπληξη από την αθώωση του αρχηγού του UCK στη Χάγη

Σε σχόλιό του, για την αθώωση του πρώην αρχηγού του UCK και πρωθυπουργού του Κοσσόβου Ραμούς Χαραντινάι, το Γραφείο Τύπου της ΚΕ του ΚΚΕ σημειώνει:

 «Το Διεθνές Ποινικό Δικαστήριο της Χάγης αθώωσε τον διοικητή του UCK Ρ. Χαραντινάι, γιατί δεν βρήκε, όπως λέει, επαρκή στοιχεία για τις δολοφονίες – προβοκάτσιες, για το εμπόριο όπλων, ναρκωτικών κλπ.! Καμία έκπληξη.


Η έκπληξη θα ήταν αυτό το διορισμένο από τις ΗΠΑ και την ΕΕ δικαστήριο να έβλεπε τα κραυγαλέα εγκλήματα και να έβγαζε καταδικαστική απόφαση. Αυτά είναι τα όργανα τα οποία οι υποστηρικτές του καπιταλισμού τα παρουσιάζουν ως ανεξάρτητα και δίκαια». 
.902.gr
29/11/12
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