Sign petition to help Germany prosecute Rumsfeld for war crimes

Action Alert!

Call on the German Federal Prosecutor to Investigate Rumsfeld and Other U.S. Officials for War Crimes at Abu Ghraib


The Center for Constitutional Rights and four Iraqis who were tortured in U.S. custody have filed a complaint with the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office against high ranking United States civilian and military commanders over the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison and elsewhere in Iraq.

We are asking the German prosecutor to launch an investigation: since the U.S. government is unwilling to open an independent investigation into the responsibility of these officials for war crimes, and since the U.S. has refused to join the International Criminal Court, CCR and the Iraqi victims have brought this complaint in Germany as a court of last resort. Several of the defendants are stationed in Germany.


http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/whatsnew/action/actionAlert2.asp

Sudie

Thanks for the link!

could I, like Bush, escape prosecution because I refuse to recognize the courts?

not unless you are a well known Republican

Done :)

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

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good link. TX!

I posted early this morning, before the letter was posted for us to sign. Just want to keep this kicked.

I hope that they Nurembourg the bastard!

The CCR is mistaken; German law does not generally allow the prosecution of foreign war criminals.
There is a supreme court decision limiting the law's influence to cases with some legitimating relation to Germany, otherwise the "Generalbundesanwalt" is powerless.
Such a relation could be:
-The suspect is living in Germany
-The suspect has the German citizenship
-The victims were German
-axis war crimes committed during WW2
...


Also, the position (literally "Attorney General") is a lifetime job - the current Generalbundesanwalt, Kay Nehm, is a conservative Kohl appointee.

Wouldn't it be great to have the Chimp sweating it out under the lights for some German interrogators? He wouldn't last five minutes!

Article 1, Part 1, Section 1 states: "This Act shall apply to all criminal offenses against international law designated under this Act, to serious criminal offences designated therein even when the offence was committed abroad and bears no relation to Germany.”

Also, in Germany, the prosecutor is under a duty to determine if an investigation and indictments are warranted; if he fails to do so, the complainants can appeal to the court.

...perhaps it's not as cut and dry as you think?

The (actually one of several ) Federal Supreme Court has ruled in the matter (Bundesgerichtshof, 3 StR 215/98).