Sir Geoffrey Nice QC Announced He Will Represent Victims of Mavi Marmara at Int'l Criminal Court

Special to Salem-News.com-May-21-2014

Milošević-prosecutor, Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, confirms today he is representing Mavi Marmara victims at the International Criminal Court.

The Mavi Marmara was the lead ship in the Freedom Flotilla, headed for Gaza on May 31, 2010. 60 miles off the coast, in International waters, the Israeli Navy illegally boarded the six ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla", and killed nine humanitarians. They took every person on board into custody.

(LONDON) - The court is being pressed to investigate the deaths, injuries and other suffering of those on board the Mavi Marmara when, four years ago, it was part of a humanitarian convoy attacked by Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

On 31 May 2010, the IDF conducted a pre-planned attack on a flotilla of aid ships in international waters. The flotilla, consisting of 6 ships carrying passengers of very many different nationalities, travelled under the joint name of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla towards Gaza where they hoped to deliver humanitarian aid carried on board, which included medicine, repair equipment for machinery and toys for children, and thereby to break the naval blockade, which is recognised by a majority of the international human rights community – scholars and practitioners - as unlawful.

At approximately 04.00 in the morning of 31 May 2010, the IDF launched its attack on the ships, which resulted in the killing of 9 passengers on board the Mavi Marmara and the injuring of tens more. The ship was boarded, seized and taken to Ashdod where the IDF then proceeded to interrogate, humiliate and torture some of their detainees.

Once in Israeli detention, the passengers were refused access to legal representation or consultation with their respective embassies and contact with their families.

The Israeli authorities have alleged that the ships carried weaponry and munitions, allegations which have to this date been shown to be without any foundation. They also claim that the violence carried out on the ship was in self-defence from attacks by the humanitarian aid passengers.

Such a claim does not explain why – according to a UN commissioned report – live munition was fired from helicopters, or why all video footage or pictures taken by the passengers were seized and destroyed and live transmissions of news from the ship were blocked during the attack by the IDF soldiers.

This attack left many people without husbands, fathers, and sons. It left others with physical scars which will never heal; one passenger remains comatose as a result of the attack. It has left all of the passengers with the psychological scars of trauma.

Music video for "Song for Mavi Marmara" by David Rovics
Video produced by Bonnie King (Salem-News.com).