US illegality in Iraq: Where is the limit?

• The United States-led occupation continues to demolish humanitarian law with impunity in Iraq
• Occupying powers have bred a culture of insecurity that destroys the lives of ordinary Iraqis
• International institutions, monitoring bodies and parliaments must act or risk irrelevance

The BRussells Tribunal calls on all to endorse this appeal, contact members of relevant institutions and parliaments, and diffuse this appeal within your organization or country, to deputies and co-workers and colleagues and others.

Contact The BRussells Tribunal by email: [email protected]

Appendix: A catalogue of impunity

The legal responsibility of the occupying powers in Iraq extends 31 December 2006, as set forth in UN Security Council Resolution 1637. As occupying powers, the United States and other parties of MNF-I have violated, often systematically, and/or are complicit with violations of, numerous principles and obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and customary international law, including, but not limited to:

· Charter of the United Nations
· Universal Declaration of Human Rights
· International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
· International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
· Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
· Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty
· Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples
· General Assembly resolution 1803 (XVII) of 14 December 1962, “Permanent sovereignty over natural resources”
· Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion or Belief
· Declaration on Fundamental Principles concerning the Contribution to the Mass Media to Strengthening Peace and International Understanding, to the Promotion of Human Rights and to Countering Racialism, Apartheid and Incitement to War
· Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict
· Declaration on the Rights of the Child
· Convention on the Rights of the Child
· Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
· Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners
· Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment
· Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
· Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
· Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
· Principles on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
· Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power
· Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary
· Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances
· Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions
· Declaration on Social Progress and Development
· Universal Declaration on the Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition
· Declaration on the Use of Scientific and Technological Progress in the Interests of Peace and for the Benefit of Mankind
· Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace
· Declaration on the Right to Development
· Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Co-operation
· Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
· Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity
· Principles of international co-operation in the detection, arrest, extradition and punishment of persons guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity
· Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field
· Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
· Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War
. Hague IV Conventions on Laws and Customs of War on Land
. The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict
· Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I)