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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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PRESS RELEASE

23rd June 2001
2300

No embargo

BLAIR MEETS WAR CRIMINAL

British Campaigners to hold Vigil Outside Against PM’s meeting with Ariel Sharon

Vigil: opposite No. 10 Downing Street, 11 a.m. Sunday 24th June.

Protestors from different groups will stage the vigil from the morning onwards. Islamic Human Rights Commission and Action Alert will be holding their vigils from 11a.m. onwards.

IHRC Chairman Massoud Shadjareh said:

“We are horrified that the Prime Minister sees fit to shake hands and discuss policy with a man who has been implicated in the horrific massacre of civilians. The genocide that was perpetrated in the Sabra and Shatila camps in 1982, involved children being scalped, women being raped and men being castrated and murdered. By meeting Ariel Sharon, Tony Blair is condoning these heinous crimes and legitimising the man who is ultimately responsible for their perpetration.”

In a letter dated 5 June received by IHRC last week the Foreign Office confirmed that it had received hundreds of letters from IHRC campaigners demanding that Ariel Sharon be refused permission to visit the UK or face indictment for war crimes should he arrive in the UK. In it the FCO denied that there were any plans for Sharon to visit.

For more information please call the Press Office on (+44) 20 8902 0888 or (+44) 7958 522 196, e-mail: info@ihrc.org