UNHRC forms international committee to probe Israel’s attack on Flotilla convoy

[Ognir]

Palestine Information Center – 22/06/2010

GENEVA: The UN human rights council (UNHRC) approved with a comfortable majority a draft resolution to form an international inquiry commission to investigate Israel's deadly attack on the Freedom Flotilla on May 31, which took place in international waters.

The European campaign to end the siege said in a press release that the UNHRC announced Monday the names of the commission's members, which include prominent international human rights experts and jurists.

The campaign noted that the draft resolution was introduced by Pakistan (on behalf of the Arab group) at the request of Turkey in the aftermath of the Israeli massacre that claimed the lives of nine Turkish nationals aboard one of the flotilla's ships.

The resolution stressed the need for submitting a comprehensive report on Israel's violations in the upcoming meeting of the UNHRC next September.

According the resolution, if Israel refused to cooperate with the commission, the latter would have to go ahead with the investigation.

In a related context, the Dutch foreign ministry informed the coordinator of the European campaign to end the siege Amin Abu Rashed and Dutch citizen Anna Da Yong, who participated in the Freedom Flotilla, that it will take care of all expenses of the lawsuit filed by them against Israel.

Abu Rashed, who is also a Dutch citizen, said in a press release that he and Da Yong last Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Israeli government on a charge of kidnapping them at sea and detaining them without the presence of a lawyer and claimed compensation for all material and moral damage done to them during and after the attack.