Dear friends,
We wish to share with you the following statement from Amnesty International.
Asian Human Rights Commission
Hong Kong
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A Statement from Amnesty International forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission
GAZA: Call for International Inquiry into Activist Killings
Dear Supporter,
At least ten civilian activists protesting against the blockade on the Gaza strip have been killed by Israeli forces. The activists were on a flotilla of ships in international waters carrying aid to the Gaza strip in defiance of the three-year blockade. Act now
Israel says its forces acted in self-defence but the level of lethal force used by Israeli troops appears to have been out of all proportion to any threat posed.
We are calling on Israel to launch an immediate credible and independent investigation into these killings, to allow the UN access to conduct an international inquiry, to provide the names and nationalities of those who were killed and injured, to allow access to those arrested, detained or in hospital by UK officials and their lawyers, to promptly release those who are currently detained unless they are charged with a recognizable criminal offence, to not employ excessive force against demonstrators protesting the events of 31 May, and to immediately lift the blockade.
Please email the Foreign Secretary to support the call for a credible, independent and international investigation into the deaths caused by the raid. Act now
Sincerely,
Kristyan Benedict
Campaign Manager
Crisis Response & Country Priorities
Background on the blockade:
The strict blockade that has been imposed by the Israeli authorities on the people of Gaza since June 2007 has depleted the resources of a collapsing economy. The population, more than half of which are children, suffers from high levels of poverty and dependence on aid. While Israel has a duty to protect its citizens, the measures it takes must conform to international humanitarian and human rights law. Collective punishment such as that caused by the blockade is prohibited under international law and constitutes a crime against humanity. So far, the international community has betrayed the people of Gaza by failing to back their words with effective action to secure the ending of the Israeli blockade. Read more on our blog
If you have any queries or feedback about this email or Amnesty’s work, please get in touch with our Supporter Care team on sct@amnesty.org.uk or on +44 (0)20 7033 1777.
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