Tribunal Russel on Palestine: conclusions of the session in South Africa

The first Russell Tribunal was held in 1967 to investigate war crimes in Vietnam and to judge them according the international law. It was promoted by Bertrand Russell, Nobel Prize in Literature 1950, and chaired by Jean-Paul Sartre. The Court was attended by leading intellectuals of the time, such as Lelio Basso, Julio Cortazar, Lazaro Cardenas and Simone de Beauvoir. The Court, despite having no legal validity, acted as a popular court of conscience towards  injustice and impunity for violations of international law.

Now, after more than forty years, Bertrand Russell Foundation is sponsoring the  establishment of a Russell Tribunal on Palestine (TRP) to prosecute violations of international law of which is victim the Palestinian population, which is deprived of a sovereign state. In this context, it will be analyzed the responsibilities of Israel as well as of other states and  international organizations such as the European Union, the United Nations and the Arab League.

The TRP consists of renowned personalities of many different countries, including Israel, and its legitimacy is not coming from any government or political party, but from the prestige, career and commitment to the fundamental rights of the members that take parrt in it.

The conclusions of the session in South Africa, of 5, 6 and 7 of past November, you can read  here.