UK court rejects Barak arrest bid
Palestinian group fails in attempt to have Ehud Barak arrested
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Wednesday, 30, Sep 2009 10:51
By Richard James.
A UK court has rejected attempts by a Palestinian group to have Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak arrested over last year's Gaza conflict.
Lawyer Tayab Ali confirmed he had failed in attempts to get the judge to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Barak as he attended the Labour party conference in Brighton this week.
The Palestinian group had wanted the Israeli defence minister arrested on the grounds of alleged war crimes committed during the three week offensive in the Gaza Strip last December and January.
The judge at a London court ruled, however, that Mr Barak enjoyed diplomatic immunity from prosecution due to the fact he is visiting the UK on official business.
Becky Hunter, the secretary-general of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, described Israeli defence minister's presence at the Labour conference as a "disgrace".
She added: "As a high contracting party to the Geneva Convention, the British government should be arresting [Mr] Barak for war crimes, not treating him to dinner."
Mr Barak is due to meet with prime minister Gordon Brown and foreign secretary David Miliband later today.
Both the Israeli military and the Palestinian group Hamas have been accused of war crimes in the Gaza conflict with left over 1,000 people dead, the majority of whom were civilians.