AMNESTY, UN Rapporteur Denounce Verdict in Rachel Corrie’s Case
Local Editor
AMNESTY International issued a statement, on Wednesday, denouncing the "Israeli" court ruling in the case of the murder of American Peace Activists, Rachel Corrie, in Rafah in 2003.
The court ruled that the soldier, who crushed her to death with his bulldozer, was not at fault.
"The verdict continues the pattern of impunity for "Israeli" military violations against civilians and human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT)", AMNESTY reported, "the verdict shields "Israeli" military personnel from accountability and ignores deep flaws in the Israeli military's internal investigation of Corrie's death."
The verdict on Rachel's murder case was read by the "Israeli" District Court in Haifa on Tuesday.
AMNESTY said that the full report of the "Israeli" investigation into the death of Rachel was never fully made public.
Rachel Corrie was killed at age 23, on March 16, 2003; in Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip while trying to prevent the army from demolishing a Palestinian home. She was in Rafah along with several activists of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).
"Rachel Corrie was a peaceful American protester who was killed while attempting to protect a Palestinian home from the crushing force of an "Israeli" military bulldozer," said Sanjeev Bery, Middle East and North Africa advocacy director for Amnesty International USA.
Also, condemning the verdict, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Richard Falk, issued a statement in which he said that "The judge's decision represents a defeat for justice and accountability, and a victory for impunity for the Israeli military."
Judge Oded Gershon ruled that her death was ‘a regrettable accident,' blaming the victim for her own death because ‘any thinking person' would have stayed away.
He went on to say "Rachel Corrie was protesting the demolition of the home of the Nasrallah family in Rafah, where she had been a volunteer for the International Solidarity Movement. The court ignored the testimony of several eyewitnesses that, while non-violently protesting the demolition, Corrie was in the direct line of vision of the bulldozer driver and was wearing a bright florescent orange vest that made her clearly visible at the time of her gruesome death."
According to Falk, such a shocking rationale flies directly in the face of the Geneva Conventions, which impose on an occupying power an unconditional obligation to protect the civilian population.
"Israeli" governmental institutions have consistently embraced impunity and non-accountability in responding to well-documented violations of international humanitarian law and in many cases "Israel's" own criminal law.
Source: News Agencies, edited by moqawama.org
AMNESTY International issued a statement, on Wednesday, denouncing the "Israeli" court ruling in the case of the murder of American Peace Activists, Rachel Corrie, in Rafah in 2003.
The court ruled that the soldier, who crushed her to death with his bulldozer, was not at fault.
"The verdict continues the pattern of impunity for "Israeli" military violations against civilians and human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT)", AMNESTY reported, "the verdict shields "Israeli" military personnel from accountability and ignores deep flaws in the Israeli military's internal investigation of Corrie's death."The verdict on Rachel's murder case was read by the "Israeli" District Court in Haifa on Tuesday.
AMNESTY said that the full report of the "Israeli" investigation into the death of Rachel was never fully made public.
Rachel Corrie was killed at age 23, on March 16, 2003; in Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip while trying to prevent the army from demolishing a Palestinian home. She was in Rafah along with several activists of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM).
"Rachel Corrie was a peaceful American protester who was killed while attempting to protect a Palestinian home from the crushing force of an "Israeli" military bulldozer," said Sanjeev Bery, Middle East and North Africa advocacy director for Amnesty International USA.
Also, condemning the verdict, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Richard Falk, issued a statement in which he said that "The judge's decision represents a defeat for justice and accountability, and a victory for impunity for the Israeli military."
Judge Oded Gershon ruled that her death was ‘a regrettable accident,' blaming the victim for her own death because ‘any thinking person' would have stayed away.
He went on to say "Rachel Corrie was protesting the demolition of the home of the Nasrallah family in Rafah, where she had been a volunteer for the International Solidarity Movement. The court ignored the testimony of several eyewitnesses that, while non-violently protesting the demolition, Corrie was in the direct line of vision of the bulldozer driver and was wearing a bright florescent orange vest that made her clearly visible at the time of her gruesome death."
According to Falk, such a shocking rationale flies directly in the face of the Geneva Conventions, which impose on an occupying power an unconditional obligation to protect the civilian population.
"Israeli" governmental institutions have consistently embraced impunity and non-accountability in responding to well-documented violations of international humanitarian law and in many cases "Israel's" own criminal law.
Source: News Agencies, edited by moqawama.org
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