International Campaign asks Red Cross to protect of J’lem MPs

[ 07/07/2010 - 06:34 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- The international campaign for the release of abducted MPs appealed to president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger, to protect the Jerusalem parliament members sitting-in at the Red Cross headquarters in Jerusalem, and to block any attempt to harm or arrest them. The international campaign, in a letter addressed to the director of the Red Cross headquarters in the Gaza Strip, condemned Israeli forces for their Tuesday intrusion into the Red Cross headquarters in Jerusalem and raid on the Jerusalem MPs’ sit-in tent in an attempt to assault and abduct them, without any regard for the international institution’s sanctity. The international campaign addressed in its letter to the Red Cross all signatories of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits occupying powers from moving residents of occupied territories by force, in accordance with Article 49, just as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in accordance with Article 7 provides that forcible removal or transport of residents is a humanitarian crime. The campaign demands immediate action to stop the Israel’s unjust and bias decision against the Jerusalem MPs and former minister. The campaign called on the ICRC to shoulder their responsibilities in the deportation case, and to coordinate efforts with international bodies to intervene in the forcible abduction of Jerusalem’s representatives, in addition to putting pressure on the Israeli government to stop its illegal deportation decision. One of those MPs and former Jerusalem minister, Khaled Abu Arafa denied in a press statement on Wednesday Hebrew press reports that the Jerusalemite deputies had signed an agreement by which they approved the deportation principle and that the issue was about to be solved. He described the reports as sheer lies aimed at distracting the attention of solidarity activists away from the main cause, stressing that the deputies were adamant on remaining in Jerusalem under any circumstances.