Irish cement giant CRH plc to be investigated for complicity with breaches of International Law

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Thursday November 11, 2010 16:58 by John D - IPSC divestment at ipsc dot ie

Leading Human Rights barrister, Michael Mansfield QC, is to lead an investigation into the construction materials company CRH’s activities in Israel.

The international tribunal, to be held in the Law Society in London on November 20-22nd , will put the spot light on 8 major multinational companies who human rights activists believe are breaching International Law.

Mansfield is one of several prominent people on the jury of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine which includes the Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire and Ronald Kasrils, former minister in Nelson Mandela’s first government in post-apartheid South Africa.

CRH plc own a 25% stake in the Israeli Company Mashav whose subsidiary Nesher Israel Cement Enterprises are Israel’s sole cement producer supplying 75-90% of all cement sold in Israel and occupied Palestine.

Nesher cement is being used in the construction of the illegal separation wall and settlements which CRH acknowledged when they admitted to Amnesty International that ‘in all probability’ their cement was being used in the construction of the wall.

John Dorman, Divestment Officer of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) will present the charges against CRH at the tribunal.

This people’s tribunal was conceived by the English philosopher Bertrand Russell in the 1960s to investigate war crimes during the Vietnam War.

The upcoming session on 'Corporate Complicity in Israel's violations of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law' was established as a means of throwing the spotlight on unethical investments by some of the largest companies in the world.

Among other companies to be investigated are: Veolia, Dexia bank, Elbit systems, Caterpillar, Ahava beauty products and Sodastream.

The Tribunal’s conclusions will be announced at a press conference November 22nd at Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA.

ENDS