Attorney General Decision Re: War Criminal Horrifying
Wellington Palestine Group

PRESS STATEMENT – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The failure of police to implement a court warrant to arrest former Israeli Chief of Staff General Ya’alon earlier this week, and the subsequent stay on proceedings issued by the Attorney General Michael Cullen, are described as ‘horrifying’ by the Wellington Palestine Group.

Spokesperson Serena Moran says the lack of action by the police calls into serious question their impartiality.

“They are meant to do what they are told by the courts to uphold the law. That is their job. A judge had issued a warrant to arrest Ya’alon on the basis that sufficient evidence existed that Ya’alon was a war criminal for actions against Palestinians and Lebanese civilians during his time as Chief of Staff and Head of Military Intelligence.”

“But the police sat on their hands for days, simply because they felt the warrant was political.”

But Serena Moran says the stay on proceedings issued by Michael Cullen was even worse.

“Lawyers have been concerned that Michael Cullen is not a lawyer. The gutless wonders in Crown Law, didn’t want to rock the boat, and so made sure that Ya’alon had plenty of time to escape the country by persuading Cullen that legal white was in fact black.”

“The clear process in the legislation is that Cullen could only issue a stay in proceedings after an arrest, not stop an arrest altogether.”

“The Palestinian and Lebanese victims of Israeli aggression have for decades been denied access to the Israeli courts that are merely instruments of Israeli occupation policy.”

“It is a disgrace that our government has improperly intervened in a judicial process to enable a man against whom there is a huge amount of war crimes evidence, to spread his poison in New Zealand and effectively leave freely with our government’s blessing.”

“All of our government’s international posturing on upholding international human rights, when it comes to doing something about it, turns out to be nothing by hot air and hypocrisy.”

“Michael Cullen’s reported remarks that there was not enough evidence against Ya’alon are imbecilic. Can’t he afford web access so he can do a Google on the evidence and cases in both the US and UK against Ya’alon and his military friends?”

ENDS

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