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<a href="http://www.iadllaw.org/en/node/377" eudora="autourl">
http://www.iadllaw.org/en/node/377<br>
</a></font><h1><b>PUERTO RICO</b></h1><font size=3>The General Assembly
of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, at its 17th
Congress in Hanoi, Vietnam, having received and considered the report of
the Association of American Jurists on the situation in Puerto
Rico:<br><br>
1. Reaffirms that Puerto Rico has been a colony
of the United States since it was invaded and occupied by the U.S. on 25
July 1898;<br><br>
2. Demands that the long-outstanding colonial
situation of Puerto Rico be reviewed and discussed in all of its aspects
before the General Assembly of the United Nations.<br><br>
3. Calls upon the Inter-American Commission of
Human Rights to investigate, report and make appropriate recommendations
concerning allegations that the Puerto Rican patriot Filiberto Ojeda Rios
was a victim of extrajudicial execution by agents of the United
States.<br><br>
4. Censures the government of Puerto Rico's
actions in attempting to dismantle the Colegio de Abogados de Puerto
Rico, one of the most important institutions defending the rights of the
poor and Puerto Rican civil society.<br><br>
5. Calls for the immediate and unconditional
release of all Puerto Rican political prisoners held in the jails of the
United States.<br><br>
<br>
Other resolutions adopted by the IADL congress can be viewed on their
website, <a href="http://www.iadllaw.org/">www.iadllaw.org</a>.<br>
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</font><h1><font size=4><b>RESOLUTION ON AGGRESSION AGAINST THE OCCUPIED
PALESTINIAN TERRITORY OF
GAZA</b></font></h1><font size=3>
<a href="http://www.iadllaw.org/en/node/365" eudora="autourl">
http://www.iadllaw.org/en/node/365</a><br>
The General Assembly of the International Association of Democratic
Lawyers, at its 17<sup>th </sup>Congress in Hanoi, Vietnam, having
received and considered many well-documented reports of violations of
international humanitarian law and international human rights in respect
of Israel's acts of aggression against the Occupied Palestinian Territory
of Gaza:<br><br>
REITERATES its call for the General Assembly, under Article 22 of the UN
Charter and SC Resolution 377, to establish a Special Tribunal to hold
accountable the government of Israel for its war crimes committed
in Gaza during Israel's invasion in December 2008 and January
2009;<br><br>
DECLARES that Israel's invasion and bombardment of Gaza was an illegal
act of aggression, in violation of the principles of the Nuremberg
Charter, and the definition of aggression contained in the U.N. General
Assembly Resolution 3314 (1974). In addition, its military attacks
were a violation of its obligations to seek peaceful resolution of the
situation under the U.N. Charter.<br><br>
AFFIRMS that Israel's bombing violated the Geneva Conventions in at least
the following ways:<br><br>
1. It constituted collective punishment of
the entire 1.5 million people in Gaza for the acts of a few
militants;<br><br>
2. It targeted civilians in one of the most
densely populated areas of the world; and<br><br>
3. It was a disproportionate
response. Moreover, Israel's sealing off of the Gazan border has
caused severe humanitarian crisis which affected the whole
population.<br><br>
DEPLORES the use by Israel of incendiary weapons, such as white
phosphorous, which are outlawed by international conventions, to inflict
damage and destruction on civilian targets;<br><br>
FIRMLY REJECTS any claims by Israel that its illegal aggression was a
justified act of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Israel is the occupying power in Gaza, and any attack which originates
from Gaza on Israel is within its territory, and does not trigger the
right of self-defense. As the occupying power, Israel has given up
its right to claim self-defence under Article 51.<br><br>
REAFFIRMS the right of the people of Gaza under international law to
resist oppressive domination and, in accordance with UN Resolution 3314,
Article 7, to fight for their self-determination. The response of
the people of Gaza was a justified resistance.<br><br>
ASSERTS that the international legal community has the obligation to hold
Israel accountable for its obligations under international and
humanitarian law. A Special Tribunal is required to ensure that
that Israel's violations in Gaza are fully investigated, and that the
rule of law is applied to all State Parties within the international
community.<br><br>
<br><br>
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