LOC15:49
12:49 GMT
LONDON, Oct 9 (KUNA) -- A public hearing will be held before the High
Court, in central London, on Wednesday, following the refusal by the British
Government to justify UK policy on arms-related sales to Israel.
The High Court will hear arguments by the British lawyer Phil Shiner, who
is specialised in human rights law, in co-operation with the Palestinian group
"Al Haq."
Shiner told a news briefing at the Foreign Press Association, in London,
Tuesday, that British sales of arms-related equipment to Israel is in breach
of UK obligations under international law as well as British law.
"The UK Government regulations stipulate that it would not issue export
licenses to countries where there is a clear risk that the export might be
used for internal repression in violation of human rights and fundamental
freedoms," Shiner said.
The lawyer is acting in the case of Saleh Hasan, a 62-year-old resident of
Bethlehem who is one of tens of thousands of Palestinians who until now have
found no effective remedy of Israels unlawful acts against the Palestinians.
In 2005, Israel used military equipment to bulldoze agricultural assets and
permanently confiscated land in order to make way for the security wall,
Hasan, who came to the UK to attend the hearing, told the briefing.
For his part, Shiner said he would argue that "the UK Government has and
continues to have clear evidence that Israel might use equipment imported from
Britain for purposes prohibited under international law."
And as such, the lawyer said he will seek a declaration from the High Court
"that in future the UK Government must be transparent and give full
information about how it has satisfied itself that there is no risk of a
breach of these criteria and to make publicly available information that there
is no risk of any arms-related products from the UK being used for repressive
purposes."
In the absence of any legal justification for continuing this current
policy, Al Haq and Palestinians like Saleh Hasan "call on the UK Government to
suspend all arms-related exports to Israel until such time as Israel complies
in full with its obligations under international law," he added.
Shiner said that the hearing is of great significance as it is being funded
by British legal aid through taxpayers money here.
Al Haq is an independent Palestinian non-governmental human rights
organisation based in Ramallah, in the West Bank.
It documents violations of rights of the Palestinians in the Occupied
Territories. (end)
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