Statement on UK’s Decision to Charge Soldiers for War Crimes

Washington DC – Heather Hamilton, Vice President for Programs at Citizens for Global Solutions, had the following to statement in reaction to the UK’s decision to charge soldiers with war crimes:

“Citizens for Global Solutions welcomes the decision of UK Attorney General Lord Goldsmith to bring charges under Britain’s International Criminal Court (ICC) Act of 2001 against three British soldiers accused of atrocities in Iraq. Lord Goldsmith’s action demonstrates the UK’s commitment to upholding rule of law on the basis of their domestic legislation.

“While the soldiers are being charged under the 2001 International Criminal Court Act, they are not being charged by the ICC in the Hague but rather under the British courts martial system according to British law.

“This is what every country should be doing: holding their own accountable under their own law. The ICC is intended to step in only for the worst violations of human rights, like genocide and mass rape, and only when countries are not taking action themselves. That’s why it is concentrating on the genocide in Darfur and the atrocities in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The ICC is actually prohibited from moving forward when countries hold their own citizens accountable.”

###

Notes to Editors: Citizens for Global Solutions is a grassroots membership organization that envisions a future in which nations work together to abolish war, protect our rights and freedoms, and solve the problems facing humanity that no nation can solve alone. We promote effective democratic global institutions that will apply the rule of law while respecting the diversity and autonomy of national and local communities.

 

Contact:

Heather Hamilton
Vice President of Programs
202 546 3950 ext. 107

Sam Stein
Communications Associate
202 546 3950 ext 123