Summary Execution Un Inquiry Says.

[mæŋksmən]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/09/council-evidence-israel-flotilla-raid/

 

 

The fact-finding mission, chaired by Karl Hudson-Phillips, former judge of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, had traveled to Turkey, Jordan and Britain to interview witnesses and officials for the probe.

 

Desmond de Silva, former chief prosecutor of the Sierra Leone War Crimes Tribunal, and Shanthi Dairiam, as Malaysian human rights expert, are the other members of the panel.

 

"The circumstances of the killing of at least six of the passengers were in a manner consistent with an extra-legal, arbitrary and summary execution," it added.

 

"The conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla passengers was not only disproportionate to the occasion but demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence," said the probe.

 

Rejecting Israel's justification of its soldiers' decision to open fire, it said it found that even those who did not attempt to stop Israeli soldiers from boarding the aid ships "received injuries, including fatal injuries."

 

GENEVA — A UN probe said Wednesday there was "clear evidence to support prosecutions" against Israel for "willful killing" and torture committed when its troops stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May.

 

In a scathing report, it also threw out Israel's argument that activists on the aid ship were violent thereby justifying the decision by Israeli soldiers to open fire, adding that some were the victim of actions "consistent with...summary execution."

 

The inquiry ordered by the UN Human Rights Council said Israel's military used "unnecessary violence" in the incident and committed acts that "constituted grave violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law."

 

There was "clear evidence to support prosecutions" of crimes against international humanitarian law including "wilful killing; torture or inhuman treatment; and willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health," it said.

 

Israel's foreign ministry spokesman could not be reached on Wednesday night, the start of the Sukkot Jewish holiday.

 

 

Full story in link.

 

 

.

[mæŋksmən]

http://www.alternet.org/story/148314/

 

29/9/2010

 

The report of the fact-finding mission of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the Israeli attack on the Gaza flotilla released last week shows conclusively, for the first time, that US citizen Furkan Dogan and five Turkish citizens were murdered execution-style by Israeli commandos.

 

The report reveals that Dogan, the 19-year-old US citizen of Turkish descent, was filming with a small video camera on the top deck of the Mavi Marmara when he was shot twice in the head, once in the back and in the left leg and foot and that he was shot in the face at point blank range while lying on the ground.

 

The report says Dogan had apparently been "lying on the deck in a conscious or semi-conscious, state for some time" before being shot in his face.

 

The forensic evidence that establishes that fact is "tattooing around the wound in his face," indicating that the shot was "delivered at point blank range." The report describes the forensic evidence as showing that "the trajectory of the wound, from bottom to top, together with a vital abrasion to the left shoulder that could be consistent with the bullet exit point, is compatible with the shot being received while he was lying on the ground on his back."

 

Based on both "forensic and firearm evidence," the fact-finding panel concluded that Dogan's killing and that of five Turkish citizens by the Israeli troops on the Mavi Marmari May 31 "can be characterized as extra-legal, arbitrary and summary executions." (See Report [.pdf] Page 38, Section 170)

 

The Turkish government gave the autopsy report on Dogan to the US Embassy in July and it was then passed on to the Department of Justice, according to a US government source who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the administration's policy of silence on the matter. The source said the purpose of obtaining the report was to determine whether an investigation of the killing by the Justice Department (DOJ) was appropriate.

 

 

 

Another passenger whom forensic evidence shows was killed execution-style, according to the OHCHR report, is Ibrahim Bilgen, a 60-year-old Turkish citizen. Bilgen is believed by forensics experts to have been shot initially from the helicopter above the Mavi Marmara and then shot in the side of the head while lying seriously wounded.

 

The fact-finding mission was given forensic evidence that, after the initial shot in chest from above, Bilgen was shot in the head with a "soft baton round at such close proximity that an entire bean bag and its wadding penetrated the skull and lodged in the chest from above," the mission concluded.

 

Full story in link.

[jimbms]

So the summary is the Israelis as usual do what they want and murder protestors, what's new.

[alibaba]

You musn't criticise them though, oh no, 'cos then you'd be an anti-semite.

[jimbms]

Observe the face of concern, the Israeli government are a bunch of genocidal murdering bastards, that should help make my view clear.

[Chinahand]

The actual report is here.

[mæŋksmən]

A total of one hundred and twelve witnesses were

interviewed by the Mission either by all of its members at the same time or by individual

members. In addition written statements were received from several persons through their

attorneys.

 

22. The Mission wishes to record its appreciation for the assistance given by various

firms of attorneys for facilitating the appearance before it of persons involved in the

incident7 and represented by them. Meetings were also held with different nongovernmental

organizations in Geneva, Istanbul and Amman.

 

5 See annexes.

 

6 Witnesses were interviewed at the following locations: London; Geneva; Istanbul; Amman. The

Mission is grateful to the International Maritime Organization for its assistance in providing a venue

for the interviews in London.

 

7 Law firms in London, Istanbul, and Athens assisted the Mission.

A/HRC/15/21

7

23. The Mission is of the opinion that evidence of a sufficient number and range of

witnesses was taken to afford it a comprehensive picture of the events as they occurred on

the 31 May 2010. In addition to the information received live from persons attending on it,

the Mission took into consideration information from a variety of sources subject to

verification of authenticity.

 

24. In assessing the evidence and information available to it, the Mission paid particular

attention to the content of the evidence and demeanour of the persons appearing before it in

deciding whether and if so what part of the information provided should be accepted. More

weight of necessity was accorded to such evidence if believed than to information from

other sources. In addition, with respect to information in the nature of hearsay evidence,

due regard was paid, giving to it such weight as the circumstances merited. Matters were

decided on the basis of the preponderance and quality of the evidence so as to satisfy all the

members of the Mission in order that they felt sure of their conclusions.

 

25. In the preparation of the report, the Mission first of all reviewed the factual

contextual background of the incident and came to its conclusions on the facts which are set

out in this report. The Mission expressed its opinion on the relevant principles of

international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law on the basis of

the facts it found. A segmented approach is taken to the analysis.

 

 

 

So what now ??.

 

fuck all, thats what.

 

American administration is blocking its own prosecutors from bringing any proceedings against those responsible for the death of their citizen shot in the face at point blank range whilst severely injured, horizontal and bleeding to death on the deck of the ship..