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One half-century later, the Progressive International (PI) is once again calling on the conscience of mankind against the crimes of US imperialism. (American Missiles Hit Baghdad, Photo by Patrick ROBERT/Corbis via Getty Images)
The Belmarsh Tribunal
The Progressive International is putting the US on trial for its war crimes in the twenty-first century.
Oct 02, 2020
On November 13, 1966 - at the height of the resistance war in Vietnam - Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre convened a people's tribunal to hold the US government accountable for its escalating war crimes.
"The tribunal has no clear historical precedent", Russell said. It represented no state power; it had no capacity to sentence the accused. "I believe that these apparent limitations are, in fact, virtues. We are free to conduct a solemn and historic investigation", said Russell, "presented to the conscience of mankind."
One half-century later, the Progressive International (PI) is once again calling on the conscience of mankind against the crimes of US imperialism.
Today, Friday October 2nd, marks the first day of the Belmarsh Tribunal, named for the prison where Julian Assange has been kept in permanent confinement for daring to publish documents that detail torture, violence, and illegal spying by the US government.
If we do not stand now--with all the evidence in our hands --we stand little chance against a machine of war and surveillance that becomes more sophisticated and more secretive by the day.
From Belmarsh, Assange now faces extradition to the United States - the first time in history that a publisher has been indicted under the Espionage Act. Today's tribunal takes its name from this site of complicity in the crimes that have been revealed by Assange, and the crimes that have been committed against him, in turn.
In a recent statement signed by many members of its Council (including Noam Chomsky and Arundhati Roy), the PI warned that the prosecution of an Australian citizen for his journalistic activities done in sovereign countries in Europe is a gross violation of human rights and international law. "More dangerously, it sets a legal precedent that means that any dissident from the foreign policy of the United States may be shipped to the United States to face life imprisonment or even a death penalty."
But statements will not suffice. That is why the PI is establishing the Belmarsh Tribunal: to put the United States government on trial for its crimes of the twenty first century - from atrocities in Iraq to torture at Guantanamo Bay to the CIA's illegal surveillance program - and draw attention to the extradition case of Julian Assange for revealing them.
"Our position is strong because we do not seek to send a few individuals to prison", Sartre said of the 1966 tribunal, "but to reawaken in public opinion, at an ominous moment of our history, the idea that there can be policies which are objectively and legally criminal."
We are again at that ominous moment of our history - asking, as Bertrand Russell did then, for "the peoples of the world, the masses, to take action to stop the crimes."
The Tribunal will bring together a planetary cast of activists, artists, thinkers, and political representatives to investigate and evaluate the Wikileaks revelations. The former president of Brazil Lula will remind us that Brazilians owe an additional debt for the WikiLeaks revelations, while former Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis will reiterate why Assange has to be released immediately.
The Tribunal will be joined by the original member of the Russell-Sartre Tribunal, Tariq Ali, who went to Vietnam to investigate US war crimes; Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson; activists and musicians Roger Waters and M.I.A.; former president of Ecuador Rafael Correa; philosopher Slavoj Zizek; actress and activist Pamela Anderson; and many others.
Today's events mark only the first day of the Tribunal. As long as Julian Assange is in prison, the Belmarsh Tribunal will continue its fight for justice. Our goal is not only freedom for Assange, but also justice for the crimes revealed by WikiLeaks - and the protection of our freedoms to speak, express, assemble, and demand truth from the powers arrayed against us.
If we do not stand now - with all the evidence in our hands - we stand little chance against a machine of war and surveillance that becomes more sophisticated and more secretive by the day.
It is time to take action. And it is time to demand justice. Because if they charge against the publisher who revealed their crimes, we must charge against the criminals themselves. Join us.
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Srecko Horvat
Srecko Horvat is a philosopher from Croatia. His latest books include, Subversion! and The Radicality of Love (2015) translated into more than 10 languages. He features in Al Jazeera's documentary film "Europe's Forbidden Colony."
On November 13, 1966 - at the height of the resistance war in Vietnam - Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre convened a people's tribunal to hold the US government accountable for its escalating war crimes.
"The tribunal has no clear historical precedent", Russell said. It represented no state power; it had no capacity to sentence the accused. "I believe that these apparent limitations are, in fact, virtues. We are free to conduct a solemn and historic investigation", said Russell, "presented to the conscience of mankind."
One half-century later, the Progressive International (PI) is once again calling on the conscience of mankind against the crimes of US imperialism.
Today, Friday October 2nd, marks the first day of the Belmarsh Tribunal, named for the prison where Julian Assange has been kept in permanent confinement for daring to publish documents that detail torture, violence, and illegal spying by the US government.
If we do not stand now--with all the evidence in our hands --we stand little chance against a machine of war and surveillance that becomes more sophisticated and more secretive by the day.
From Belmarsh, Assange now faces extradition to the United States - the first time in history that a publisher has been indicted under the Espionage Act. Today's tribunal takes its name from this site of complicity in the crimes that have been revealed by Assange, and the crimes that have been committed against him, in turn.
In a recent statement signed by many members of its Council (including Noam Chomsky and Arundhati Roy), the PI warned that the prosecution of an Australian citizen for his journalistic activities done in sovereign countries in Europe is a gross violation of human rights and international law. "More dangerously, it sets a legal precedent that means that any dissident from the foreign policy of the United States may be shipped to the United States to face life imprisonment or even a death penalty."
But statements will not suffice. That is why the PI is establishing the Belmarsh Tribunal: to put the United States government on trial for its crimes of the twenty first century - from atrocities in Iraq to torture at Guantanamo Bay to the CIA's illegal surveillance program - and draw attention to the extradition case of Julian Assange for revealing them.
"Our position is strong because we do not seek to send a few individuals to prison", Sartre said of the 1966 tribunal, "but to reawaken in public opinion, at an ominous moment of our history, the idea that there can be policies which are objectively and legally criminal."
We are again at that ominous moment of our history - asking, as Bertrand Russell did then, for "the peoples of the world, the masses, to take action to stop the crimes."
The Tribunal will bring together a planetary cast of activists, artists, thinkers, and political representatives to investigate and evaluate the Wikileaks revelations. The former president of Brazil Lula will remind us that Brazilians owe an additional debt for the WikiLeaks revelations, while former Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis will reiterate why Assange has to be released immediately.
The Tribunal will be joined by the original member of the Russell-Sartre Tribunal, Tariq Ali, who went to Vietnam to investigate US war crimes; Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson; activists and musicians Roger Waters and M.I.A.; former president of Ecuador Rafael Correa; philosopher Slavoj Zizek; actress and activist Pamela Anderson; and many others.
Today's events mark only the first day of the Tribunal. As long as Julian Assange is in prison, the Belmarsh Tribunal will continue its fight for justice. Our goal is not only freedom for Assange, but also justice for the crimes revealed by WikiLeaks - and the protection of our freedoms to speak, express, assemble, and demand truth from the powers arrayed against us.
If we do not stand now - with all the evidence in our hands - we stand little chance against a machine of war and surveillance that becomes more sophisticated and more secretive by the day.
It is time to take action. And it is time to demand justice. Because if they charge against the publisher who revealed their crimes, we must charge against the criminals themselves. Join us.
Srecko Horvat
Srecko Horvat is a philosopher from Croatia. His latest books include, Subversion! and The Radicality of Love (2015) translated into more than 10 languages. He features in Al Jazeera's documentary film "Europe's Forbidden Colony."
On November 13, 1966 - at the height of the resistance war in Vietnam - Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre convened a people's tribunal to hold the US government accountable for its escalating war crimes.
"The tribunal has no clear historical precedent", Russell said. It represented no state power; it had no capacity to sentence the accused. "I believe that these apparent limitations are, in fact, virtues. We are free to conduct a solemn and historic investigation", said Russell, "presented to the conscience of mankind."
One half-century later, the Progressive International (PI) is once again calling on the conscience of mankind against the crimes of US imperialism.
Today, Friday October 2nd, marks the first day of the Belmarsh Tribunal, named for the prison where Julian Assange has been kept in permanent confinement for daring to publish documents that detail torture, violence, and illegal spying by the US government.
If we do not stand now--with all the evidence in our hands --we stand little chance against a machine of war and surveillance that becomes more sophisticated and more secretive by the day.
From Belmarsh, Assange now faces extradition to the United States - the first time in history that a publisher has been indicted under the Espionage Act. Today's tribunal takes its name from this site of complicity in the crimes that have been revealed by Assange, and the crimes that have been committed against him, in turn.
In a recent statement signed by many members of its Council (including Noam Chomsky and Arundhati Roy), the PI warned that the prosecution of an Australian citizen for his journalistic activities done in sovereign countries in Europe is a gross violation of human rights and international law. "More dangerously, it sets a legal precedent that means that any dissident from the foreign policy of the United States may be shipped to the United States to face life imprisonment or even a death penalty."
But statements will not suffice. That is why the PI is establishing the Belmarsh Tribunal: to put the United States government on trial for its crimes of the twenty first century - from atrocities in Iraq to torture at Guantanamo Bay to the CIA's illegal surveillance program - and draw attention to the extradition case of Julian Assange for revealing them.
"Our position is strong because we do not seek to send a few individuals to prison", Sartre said of the 1966 tribunal, "but to reawaken in public opinion, at an ominous moment of our history, the idea that there can be policies which are objectively and legally criminal."
We are again at that ominous moment of our history - asking, as Bertrand Russell did then, for "the peoples of the world, the masses, to take action to stop the crimes."
The Tribunal will bring together a planetary cast of activists, artists, thinkers, and political representatives to investigate and evaluate the Wikileaks revelations. The former president of Brazil Lula will remind us that Brazilians owe an additional debt for the WikiLeaks revelations, while former Greece's finance minister Yanis Varoufakis will reiterate why Assange has to be released immediately.
The Tribunal will be joined by the original member of the Russell-Sartre Tribunal, Tariq Ali, who went to Vietnam to investigate US war crimes; Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson; activists and musicians Roger Waters and M.I.A.; former president of Ecuador Rafael Correa; philosopher Slavoj Zizek; actress and activist Pamela Anderson; and many others.
Today's events mark only the first day of the Tribunal. As long as Julian Assange is in prison, the Belmarsh Tribunal will continue its fight for justice. Our goal is not only freedom for Assange, but also justice for the crimes revealed by WikiLeaks - and the protection of our freedoms to speak, express, assemble, and demand truth from the powers arrayed against us.
If we do not stand now - with all the evidence in our hands - we stand little chance against a machine of war and surveillance that becomes more sophisticated and more secretive by the day.
It is time to take action. And it is time to demand justice. Because if they charge against the publisher who revealed their crimes, we must charge against the criminals themselves. Join us.
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