London, Dec 24, IRNA – Britain’s mainstream Muslim organisation has accused Foreign Secretary David Miliband of employing double standards by not pursuing alleged Israeli war criminals.
In a letter to Miliband, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) also warned that the UK government was jeopardising its international reputation by interfering in the law to prevent Israeli leaders being arrested under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
“We run the risk of strengthening the claims of those who reject our democratic processes and view our commitment to law, domestic and international, as utilitarian and malleable,” MCB secretary general Abdul Bari warned.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown was reported to have telephoned former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni last week to apologise for the issuing of an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes that caused her at the last minute to cancel a visit to London.
Miliband was also said to have similarly apologised to his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman for the court action and announced that his government would review the application of universal jurisdiction under which the warrant was issued.
In a copy of his letter obtained by IRNA, Bari warned that respect for the rule of law was the cornerstone of Britain’s much cherished legal system and that separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary flow from it.
“It seems to us that you are allowing political exigency to undermine and erode fundamental legal traditions and conventions which are centuries old and have served our society well,” he told Miliband.
The MCB secretary general accused the foreign secretary of “committing the government to the path of selective compliance with the enforcement of international law.”
“Law in our legal system is the same for all – friend or foe. Your proposed step will treat ‘political friends’ differently and indeed more favourably than those who may face same allegations but for whom a different process will apply,” he warned.
“This cannot be right and will give rise to well founded perception of double standards in law enforcement,” Bari said, adding that it would be a “further dimension to the double standards” that his government already applies in relation to the politics of the Middle East.
Milband’s announcement that he is prepared to interfere in the judicial system to restrict the arrest of alleged Israeli war criminals is also being opposed by MPs, which was voiced in an Early Day Motion to parliament last week.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has further accused the foreign secretary of “seeking to avoid its responsibility to uphold international law and bring war criminals to justice.”