UK complicit in Israeli war crimes, says PSC director http://www.irna.ir/ENNewsShow.aspx?NID=30599977&SRCH=1

The British government is “complicit” in Israeli war crimes by allowing its leaders to escape justice, according to the director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Sarah Colborne. “The government is protecting people where there is significant evidence of war crimes violations,” Colborne said after allowing former Israeli foreign minister to come to London. In an interview with IRNA, she confirmed that the British Foreign Office had granted Livni a “special mission” immunity from prosecution despite changing the law to restrict private arrest warrants being issued under universal jurisdiction.

'The fact that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave Livni special status following changes to universal jurisdiction is a deliberate attempt to evade justice,” Colborne said. She said an application for an arrest warrant was made on Tuesday but that on Thursday morning the Foreign Office submitted a paper to the Director of Public Prosecutions claiming the former Israeli foreign minister had immunity.

The visit by Livni, who was forced to cancel a trip to London two years ago after an arrest warrant was issued, was seen as the first test of the change in universal jurisdiction made last month. “If Livni had nothing to hide, there would be no problem for her coming to this country, but the truth is that there was enough evidence against Livni in late 2009 to issue an arrest warrant over her role in Operation Cast Lead,” Colborne said. “But even with the change in the law it was still necessary for the government to give Livni special immunity so she could not be prosecuted,” she said.

Following her meeting with Foreign Secretary William Hague, the PSC organised a demonstration to protest against, what Colborne said, was “complicity in allowing Israeli war crimes suspects to get out of jail free effectively.” “We are calling for Israel war crimes suspects to face justice not to be coming over to Britain.” “What we are saying to the British government is that they have to stop their complicity and ensure justice is done and that people responsible for war crimes are sent to the Hague not meeting William Hague,” she said.