World Tribunal On Iraq To Commence Today

http://www.worldtribunal.org/main/?b=1

23 Jun 2005

23rd June, 2005, Istanbul "The World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI) has been convened to bring international law to bear on America" aggressive behaviour around the world, with particular emphasis on the Iraq war. This represents an historic attempt by the people of the world to hold states and their leaders responsible for severe violations of international law. The Tribunal has both symbolic and substantive significance as a step toward the establishment of global democracy,' said Richard Falk, UNESCO peace prize holder and Professor of International Law, at a press conference held today at Darphane-i Amire in Topkapi Palace Grounds. The World Tribunal on Iraq (WTI) will start tomorrow, June 24, at 09.00 am.

Professor Richard Falk is the co-coordinator for the Tribunal's Panel of Advocates together with Turgut Tarhanl?, Professor of International Law and Human Rights Law. Speakers at the press conference also included Hilal Küey and Hulya Üçp?nar from the Izmir Bar Association and Müge Sökmen from the WTI Coordination. The Tribunal will be launched by a concert at the same venue tonight at 20.30 with renowned artists from Turkey as well as Omar Bashir from Iraq.

The WTI participants from around the world include Iraqi witnesses and experts as well as distinguished international figures such as Dennis Halliday, former Assistant to the UN Secretary General and Director of the UN Humanitarian Aid Programme, Souad Naji Al-Azzawi, Director of the Doctorate Programme in Environmental Engineering in Iraq and Phil Shiner, a human rights lawyer who has uncovered evidence that U.S. troops have tortured detainees in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. The Jury of Conscience is chaired by award-winning author Arundathi Roy and is comprised of 15 people from different parts of the world with different areas of expertise.

The Tribunal will consist of three days of hearings investigating various issues related to the war on Iraq, such as the legality of the war, the role of the United Nations, war crimes and the role of the media, as well as the destruction of the cultural sites and the environment. The session in Istanbul is the culminating session of commissions of inquiry and hearings held around the world over the past two years (1). They have compiled a definitive historical record of evidence about the invasion and the occupation.

The Istanbul session of the WTI will summarize and present further testimony on the (il)legality and criminal violations in the U.S. pretexts for and the conduct of this war. The expert opinion, witness testimony, video and image evidence will address the impact of war on civilians, the torture of prisoners, the (un)lawful imprisonment of Iraqis without charges or legal defense, the use of depleted uranium weapons, the effects of the war on Iraq's infrastructure, the destruction of Iraqi cultural institutions, and the liability of the invaders before international law for failing to protect these treasures of humanity.

The organisers of WTI have extended an invitation on the17th of May to U.S. President George W. Bush as well as the U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair to attend the Tribunal and present their case. No reply has been received as of today.

A United States television network, Deep Dish TV, will provide a global broadcast of the World Tribunal on Iraq. Deep Dish is offering all media outlets a free one hour program for television or audio downlink each of the four days of the conference (2).

The official web site for WTI www.worldtribunal.org will be offering live audio and video streaming of the Tribunal hearings in addition to the daily updates.

Notes:
1. Sessions on different topics related to the war on Iraq were held in London, Mumbai, Copenhagen, Brussels, New York, Japan, Stockholm, South Korea, Rome, Frankfurt, Geneva, Lisbon and Spain

2. Satellite Downlink Coordinates and Times for free rebroadcast:
June 24, 2100 - 2200 GMT / 1700 - 1800 US (ET) / 0000 - 0100 Turkish Time (6/25)
June 25, 2100 - 2200 GMT / 1700 - 1800 US (ET) / 0000 - 0100 Turkish Time (6/26)
June 26, 2100 - 2200 GMT / 1700 - 1800 US (ET) / 0000 - 0100 Turkish Time (6/27)
June 27, 1000 - 1100 GMT / 0600 - 0700 US (ET) / 1300 - 1400 Turkish Time (6/27)

Transponders:
Europe and the Middle East - Eutelsat WI, Transponder B3
U.S ? Galaxy 10R, Transponder 9K, Slot A.
For More Information Contact:
Deep Dish TV - tel: 212 473 8933 - email: deepdish@igc.org - http://www.deepdishtv.org

You can click to read Richard Falk's statement at press conference

For more information and interview requests please contact:
Tolga Temuge, International Communications and Media Coordinator, on +(90) 533 644 4687 or tolga.temuge@worldtribunal.org,
WTI Office in Istanbul, + (90) 212 244 7370 or,

www.worldtribunal.org