London Indymedia

Life sentences in the failed 21-7 London bombings in contrary with human rights

Astrid Essed | 27.07.2007 03:16 | Globalisation | Repression | Terror War | London

The lifelong verdicts in the failed 21-7-2005 London bombings are in contrary with the fundamental human rights of the convicts, since no llegal distinction has been made between this attempt and an actual committed crime
According to me, this is a black page in British jurisdiction

Dear Editor and Readers,

Not only I was indignant about the disproportionnal life sentence-verdicts regarding the failed 21-7 London bombings,also I was shocked by the nearly unanimous British and international consent with this verdict

To protest against this and to refer to the generally acknowledged legal distinction between a crime and an attempt, I have sent underlying letter to the Editor to a number of British and international papers

Kind regards

Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Letter to the Editor,

Dear Editor,

I've learnt with concern about the recent long-life imprisonment-verdict of four men, in respect with the failed terrorattacks in London, dd 21-7-2005
The argumentation of the judge, referring to the possible number of victims in a real terroristic attack, is no valid, since the horrible event didn't take place

Since the four convicted men didn't actually commit the crime, the verdict is in contrary with the principle, that distinction should be made between the actually committed crime and a failed attempt, which has caused no victims.
Ignoring this principle, is a violation of the fundamental human rights, on the ground of discrimination or unequal treatment, since the length of their conviction is as long, or longer, than real killers.

Since this verdict is a result of common British law (in contrary with a number of European and international countries, which do make the distinction between crime and attempt), also defendants, who are being accused of attempts to murder of a non-terroristic character, can be equally verdicted to long-life imprisonment


As well in the case of terrortrials, as in trials regarding ''regular'' crimes it is of the utmost importance, to act according to the principes of human rights

Is to be recommended, that the British lawsystem will be revised, making a distinction, in punishment, between an attempt and an actually committed murder


Astrid Essed
Amsterdam
The Netherlands


Astrid Essed

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Attempted MASS murder

27.07.2007 07:34

Everyone should be treated lawfully; but it isn't Mandela or Biko or Vanunu we're talking about here.

Assuming these guys are guilty as charged and I haven't seen anything to convince me otherwise, I'd personally be happy to see them kept away from anything more dangerous than a plastic spoon until someone can convince me they are no longer a danger to others, be that five years or fifty.

Who cares how competent they were when their intentions were to brutally murder as many people as possible.

It's however ridiculous that this Abu Hamza is going to be seeing the light of day before they are.

cardiothoracic fistula


rules for one - rules for all

27.07.2007 09:03

Mass murderers ... probably, yes. However, while these guys are locked away, the mass murderers of Blair, Brown, Straw, Ohmert, Bush and Cheney all ride around in their posh cars, glad-handing all the way to the bank and celebrity status.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch in Iraq, 650,000 dead (at least - probably MUCH more by now) and the media salivate to spill the beans of how wonderful our democratic freedoms are and the little ungrateful Iraqis have the gall to refuse our exports. Why, damn them all - we\'re trying to export our freedoms and our democracies in exchange for their oil and sovereign territory, and the bastards are fighting us. Where\'s the gratitude?

We should all get on bended knees and worship our demigods. Uh - actually, that\'s what the (free) press are already doing isn\'t it? Silly me.

I say - if the 21/7 attempted bombers get nicked for life, then Blair, Brown, Bush, Cheney, and Omert should each get the death penalty - just like Hussein. Make the fuckers swing!!

The Jackal


Britain and life sentences

27.07.2007 09:12

Unfortunately Britain has myriad life sentences - mandatory life sentences for murder, discretionary life sentences for other serious crimes like this one, automatic life sentences (2 strikes and you are out). It's all outrageous, immoral and draconian but as the people who make these laws usually made the ones for the framework they have to fit into and the ECHR allows states a 'margin of interpretation' (or margin of something, I forget the exact terminology) they can do what they like and it is not against the law.

the law is an ass


Criminal Attempts

27.07.2007 09:18

Astrid, In England and Wales there is no distinction between inchoate and actual offences. Criminal Attempts Act 1981. Thus when you say "I've learnt with concern about the recent long-life imprisonment-verdict of four men, in respect with the failed terrorattacks in London, dd 21-7-2005 The argumentation of the judge, referring to the possible number of victims in a real terroristic attack, is no valid, since the horrible event didn't take place". A harsh sentence maybe but you are wrong and the Judge is right according to the laws of England and Wales. Nothing illegal about it at all.

Arthur


hi Astrid

27.07.2007 11:10

hmmm.......lets see....a Dutch supporter of violent jihadis? why not just post your address and tel right here below & save MI6 or Dutch equivalent a few hours work.....

bad george


for fucks sake

27.07.2007 14:48

why are so many 'liberals' obsessed with standing up for islamic fundamentalist loons??
these people tried to kill hundreds of innocent people for fucks sake.

class war anarchist


The Jackal

27.07.2007 17:54

Well, they "they are doing worse" argument might wash if these jihadis were actually trying to blow up war criminals. The truth is, they weren't. They were trying to blow up commuters, and the last time I looked failing to overthrow a murderous government didn't carry a death sentence at Nuremberg.

The politicians are the biggest terrorists for sure, but it doesn't mean the incompetent bombers aren't scum too.


Cardiothoracic Fistula


What about..

28.07.2007 05:13

the men who've just been given 35 years between them for "thought crime"?

I've got some books in my house... and have made many comments on indymedia .. that if prosecuted from one point of view , with the full weight of media behind could make me look like some kind of a Nelson Mandella , terrorist type of chap.

I'm not really..honest.." I believed I was doing the right thing" at the time.

daggle


Cardiothoracic Fistula

28.07.2007 07:18

These \"jihadis\" can, in many respects, be seen as desperate soldiers in an undeclared war. I\'m not condoning what they did (attempted to do), nor am I saying there should not be a sentence imposed. What I am saying is that their crimes (basically, a non-event) are a reaction to an illegal occupation, an outright racist assault on Muslims who do not subscribe to the western pro-corporatist way of life, and an war of terror that contravenes both the resolutions from Nuremberg and the Geneva Convention.

In much the same way as the ANC of years gone by were Freedom Fighters against oppression, despite Blair\'s yellow chicken shit claims to the contrary, his illegal invasion of two sovereign nations and his indiscriminate slaughter of thousands is a war of occupation and oppression, and has elicited a response. I don\'t condone the crimes of the jihadis nor of the politicians, but really suggesting that the jihadis got what they deserved because they targeted innocents is naive at best ... two entire nations were filled with innocents when Blair and Bush invaded, spreading mayhem, death and destruction on an industrial scale. The two facts cannot be separated.

The Jackal


The Jackal

30.07.2007 14:15

I agree that Blair's spin that 7/7 and 21/7 had nothing to do with Iraq is patently absurd, I haven't heard anyone who bought the rubbish either. Doubly sick if there is a slightest chance that the bombers and would-be bombers were directly influenced by KLA recruiters that were guests of MI5/6.

I agree that architects and willing participants of the illegal Iraq war are criminals. Blair, Bush, Cheney, Campbell et al should be rotting in prison by now, for sure. They should be paragons of the lowest depths that (in)humanity can plumb. They should be looking at dying of old age in prison and not looking forward to a well-off retirement.

I agree that innocent victims of that war deserve justice, as do the victims of 7/7 (in the form of a real independent inquiry).

But I'll never see the day when I think that one person's murder of innocent people justifies another's.

Both are terrorist scum.

Neither has any moral defense for their actions.

Cardiothoracic Fistula


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