Maryland Leader
MarylandLeader.com Friday 10th February 2012 Issue 066/2012
Follow us on Follow us on TwitterFollow us on facebook









  • More World News

  • 28,000 died in Russian road accidents in 2011
  • Euro zone sets new conditions for Greece bailout package
  • UK property market shows signs of upturn
  • Gayle smashes 44-ball century in BPL
  • Russia jails military officer for spying for CIA
  • Pattaya Open: Sania out of singles, doubles hopes alive
  • Australia edge Sri Lanka by five runs
  • Fix reserve price at Rs.1,658 crore in 2G auction: Uninor
  • Ten injured in grenade attack at Imran's rally
  • Slim women prefer unsexy undies on date
    Get World News headlines emailed to you daily.

    UN panel on flotilla raid completes probe in Jordan
    Maryland Leader
    Saturday 4th September, 2010  
    (IANS)


    A UN fact-finding mission left Jordan Saturday, prominent Jordanian unionist Wael Saqqa said, following a five-day investigation into a fatal Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in the Mediterranean May 31.

    During its stay in the capital Amman, the UN team conducted hearings with about 30 Arab activists who were aboard the flotilla vessels when Israeli troops raided the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, killing nine people, Saqqa told DPA.

    Thirty-three Jordanian activists had been aboard the Turkish ship, which sought to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip.

    Saqqa said the group interviewed by the UN team included 24 Jordanians, two Bahrain nationals, a Lebanese and three Arabs from Israel, including parliamentarian Hanin Zoabi.

    Zoabi, who was aboard the Mavi Marmara, told the UN panel she believed the Israeli soldiers had prior 'permission to kill'.

    Jordan was the last stop of the UN team's mission, which also included visits to London, Geneva and Turkey. The panel met with a total of about 100 people, Saqqa said.

    The panel, chaired by former International Court of Justice judge Karl Hudson-Phillips, is due to report back to the UN Human Rights Council during its session between Sep 13 and Oct 11.

    'We reported what we had seen. The UN team should pursue an objective method in writing its report,' Saqqa said.

    'However, we don't attach much hope to its findings, given the failure of the world community to follow up the Goldstone report,' Saqqa added, referring to the findings of another fact-finding mission last year.

    That mission, led by former judge Richard Goldstone, had issued a report accusing Israel of committing violations during its attack on Gaza in Jan 2009. The report was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in Sep 2009.


      Email this story to a friend

    Have your say on this story

    Your nickname (required)
    Message