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World Tribunal on Iraq
Istanbul, 23-27 June 2005
The Istanbul Session -
The Final Outcome
Taking its cue from the Russell Tribunal of the late 1960s, the World Tribunal
on Iraq is aimed at challenging the silence around the aggression against Iraq and seeking the truth about the war and occupation
in Iraq. This will be a record of wrongs, violations and crimes as well as suffering, resistance and silenced voices. This
will be a process of listening, reflection, evaluation and informed judgement based on concrete evidence. This will be a call
to conscience and a call to act to preserve our futures.
The conceptual framework of the Istanbul session is twofold:
(A) An investigation of the wrongs committed against the people of Iraq:
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Whether the “coalition governments” are guilty of a gross and criminal violation
of the life, liberty and dignity of the people of Iraq as a result of war. Whether those governments that are outside the
coalition forces, but have provided the forces with various facilities, are guilty of complicity.
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Whether the current occupation in Iraq is illegal, illegitimate and in violation of the
sovereignty of the people of Iraq.
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Whether the coalition governments and the corporations operating in Iraq are guilty of
continuing violations of the fundamental rights of the people of Iraq through the criminal conduct of political manipulation
and economic plundering affected under the guise of transition to “democracy”.
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Whether the political institutions of the international community are responsible for
giving way to the infliction of injustice on the people of Iraq.
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Whether the media has been complicit in the aforementioned violations by not fulfilling
its social responsibility to convey the truth.
(B) An investigation of issues related to the implementation of justice, including:
- What implications does this war carry on the ability of political and legal institutions to fulfil the aspirations of
the world’s citizens?
- Have we been lied to? If we cannot rely on the media to get to the truth, then what are the implications?
- What impact does the war on Iraq have on global security? What are the main dangers facing the majority of the world’s
population? What implications does the discourse on the ‘War on Terrorism’ have on the civil liberties of people
around the world?
- What implications, in terms of the future of humanity, flow from the destruction affected upon the world’s cultural
heritage, the environment and our resources in general?
- Following the bombings in Istanbul, Madrid, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia and other countries, can we accept the claim
that the threat of ‘terrorism’ is being reduced by the current US/UK strategies of violence?
- What options do we face and what alternatives can we imagine?
This tribunal shall render a decision on the issues presented to it, which will be widely distributed throughout the
world for the benefit of individuals and groups struggling for peace and justice. You can find more in Press Kit section
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