KARACHI, April 20: The International Law Study Group (ILSG) on Saturday strongly condemned the announcement by the occupying power in Iraq, the US Central Command, of a list of fifty five most wanted men belonging to the ousted Baathist government whom it wants “pursued, killed or captured”.
The ILSG maintained that the published list, which had been given to the soldiers of the occupying forces, and largely circulated among the public, had given rise to fears that it was an open incitement to murder and lynching.
This, they said, was in flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War which, in Article 70, says that “protected persons shall not be arrested, prosecuted or convicted by the occupying power for acts committed or opinions expressed before the occupation, or during a temporary interruption thereof, with the exception of breaches of the laws and customs of war”.
The ILSG chairman pointed out that Article 72 guaranteed the accused the right to present evidence, to call witnesses and choose defence counsel, while Article 73 gave them the right to appeal against conviction.
He said the occupying forces had failed in their primary legal responsibility to prevent pillage and plunder of the individual and public property in Iraq.
“It is beyond any shadow of doubt that the US forces have committed naked military aggression against a member country of the United Nations and used prohibited weapons, causing widespread loss of civilian lives and damage to individual and public property in contravention of the Geneva Conventions 1, and 11, Additional Protocol I, 1977 and the 1980 UN General Assembly Convention.”
The ILSG demanded that the US and its camp-followers end the illegal occupation of Iraq, and the UN Peace Force be deployed there with the mandate for maintaining law and order and overseeing the relief and rehabilitation work in that war-scarred country.
It maintained that after the restoration of public peace and tranquillity, the UN should hold free and fair elections on the one-man-one-vote basis to enable Iraqis to choose a representative government.
The ILSG further demanded that the International Criminal Court hold the trial of those who planned and initiated the aggression and used prohibited weapons during the hostilities, causing immense loss of civilian lives and damage to property.
