Lawyers of freedom flotilla victims want ICC to prosecute Israel

[ 15/10/2010 - 02:15 PM ]

THE HAGUE, (PIC)-- Defense lawyers of the victims of the Mavi Marmara ship have decided to take the issue to the International Criminal Court, stressing that the Israeli occupation must not escape punishment for the crime it had committed against the Turkish activists.

Ramadhan Ariturk, one of the lawyers of the nine Turkish victims explained that the defense lawyers sent a letter to ICC prosecutor Luis Ocampo in this regard, adding they have strong evidence at hand enough to indict the Israeli authorities of committing the massacre on board the humanitarian ship.

"My son was killed, but the perpetrators of the crime are still free …. They must be hunted and brought to justice", said Ahmet Dougan, father of Furkan Dougan, 19, who was killed during the Israeli raid on the boat, adding that he came to the Hague not for his son's case only but for the sake of all the flotilla victims.

The Turkish IHH organization that sponsored the Mavi Marmara said that it would do all in its power to get the Israeli leaders prosecuted in international courts for committing the ugly massacre on the Marmara.

"Crimes against humanity were indeed committed at the hands of the Israeli soldiers on board the ship, and thus, the ICC prosecutor should look into the case and take it seriously… he should move," stressed one of the defense lawyers in press conference.

The lawyer also added that what the victims' families were interested in is to see justice done; highlighting that it is about time for the international community not to treat Israel as a "state" above law.

Moreover, the lawyer explained that although the Zionist entity hadn’t endorsed the Roma agreement, the ICC has the full right to check and handle war crimes if committed anywhere in this globe.

Nevertheless, the lawyer revealed that Ocampo, although did not give any comments on the case, would open a preliminary investigation that might take one year to finish.


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