EU-Iraq: Amnesty International Issues Challenge to EU Leaders

ADDRESSED TO: BERTIE AHERN/ JOSE MARIA AZNAR/ JAN PETER BALKENENDE/ JOSE MANUEL DURAO BARROSO/ SILVIO BERLUSCONI/TONY BLAIR/ JACQUES CHIRAC/ JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER/PAAVO LIPPONEN/ GORAN PERSSON/ ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN/ GERHARD SCHRÖDER/ WOLFGANG SCHÜSSEL/ COSTAS SIMITIS/ GUY VERHOFSTADT

On the eve of the EU Summit in Brussels and with war in Iraq imminent, Amnesty International has issued a challenge to all EU Heads of State or Government to spell out their individual and collective determination to ensure strict adherence to international law in the conduct of war.

Amnesty International has set out a list of demands governing the conduct of war in a document sent to Britain, Spain, the United States and Iraq:

“People come first – Amnesty International’s 10-point appeal to all parties involved in possible military action in Iraq“ (available see link at end of page).

“People must come first. All EU leaders must speak out publicly and forcefully to reaffirm the values and commitments that bind the EU and each of its members,” said Dick Oosting, Director of Amnesty International’s EU Office.

“All EU countries – but particularly those who are participating in the Iraq war – must give guarantees that the laws of war will be fully respected by anyone under their command,” he said.

Weapons
Amnesty International specifically calls on EU leaders to declare their unconditional opposition to the use of weapons that are inherently indiscriminate including:

Cluster bombs
Anti-personnel landmines
Chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

Civilians
Amnesty International calls for a commitment by all EU leaders to ensure:

that there are no direct attacks on civilians
that attacks on military targets do not have a disproportionate impact on civilians
that the security and humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people are fully met
that refugees and internally displaced people are protected.

Human rights monitors
Amnesty International calls on tomorrow’s EU Summit to push for the United Nations Security Council to send UN human rights monitors to Iraq as soon as the situation permits. The human rights organisation says human rights monitors are essential to help prevent abuses and to investigate violations by any party.

For interviews contact:
Amnesty International EU Office in Brussels:
Switchboard: 32-2-5021499
Press: 32-2-5482773
GSM: (32) 0477625502