CRH plc exposed to legal liability for serious violations of International law

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Tuesday November 23, 2010 12:33 by John D - IPSC divestment at ipsc dot ie

Leading Human Rights barrister, Michael Mansfield QC, considers the conduct of CRH plc and other corporation’s activities in occupied Palestine to be morally reprehensible and exposes them to legal liability for these violations. Mr Mansfield will be in Dublin tonight for the 4th Annual Dave Ellis Memorial Lecture organized by the Free Legal Advice Centre on the theme of "Access to Justice".

www.ipsc.ie

Mansfield was 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 veteran South African anti-Apartheid activist Ronnie Kasrils.

The Tribunal sat in session over the weekend in the Law Society in London to investigate corporate complicity in Israel’s violations of International Law.

John Dorman, Divestment Officer of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) presented the case against CRH at the tribunal. CRH were invited to attend however the tribunal received no response from the company.

CRH plc own a 25% stake Israel’s sole cement producer, Nesher who supply 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.

In the public statement following tribunal session, Mansfield held that corporations such as CRH plc, Veolia, Dexia Bank, Elbit Systems and Caterpillar play a very decisive role in enabling Israel to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied territories of Palestine.

The Tribunal noted that these companies are undermining the very integrity and credibility of International Law and the institutions that under pin it.

It included in its findings as to the potential legal liability of the companies for these serious violations noting that civil claims against the companies are possible in countries where they are domiciled and they can be subject to criminal prosecution.

In his testimony to the Tribunal Mr. Dorman reiterated the request by the IPSC for CRH to divest from Israel. This request and his call on the Irish state to hold CRH to account for corporate complicity in Israel action’s was endorsed by the Tribunal in their findings.

Mairead Corrigan Maguire appealed to ordinary people to stand up for the human rights of the Palestinian people and to support the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) against Israel until such time as it brings an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine.

ENDS

Video and text of John Dorman's presentation to the Tribunal can be found here: http://ipsc.ie/crhdivest/ipsc_rt2010.html