Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, has tasked Amnesty International to lead the human rights community to demand justice in the war between Israel and Hamas.
Mr Falana, also a Human Rights Activist, gave this charge at a media parley held in Lagos on Thursday by Amnesty International.
He commended Amnesty International for its achievements but accused it of being hypocritical concerning ” atrocities perpetrated by western governments and Israel.”
“Isreal supported by the United States and other western countries are prosecuting an agenda to destroy unharmed people, including children.
“There have been mass felling of children, such that you cry when you watch the goings-on on television and see how children are being killed.
“You cannot defeat an organisation by unleashing violence, no. you must address the crises that led to the emergence of the organisation.
“Internationally, collective punishment is prohibited in the Geneva Convention,” Mr Falana said.
He stressed that what Israel was doing in prosecuting war with Hamas in the Gaza strip was tantamount to crimes against humanity and genocidal acts.
According to him , if the occurrence had been committed the other way round, the west would have ordered for the Israeli Prime Minister to be arrested through the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Compare the atrocities perpetrated so far in Gaza to the crisis in Ukraine. What did Putin do that the west ensured that the ICC-controlled by them ordered his arrest?
“Yet, nobody has even suggested that Prime Minister Netayanhu be arrested talk less of charged. Amnesty International must spearhead the human rights community to demand that justice be done in the case of Israel,” he said.
NAN
