The campaign to save our war crimes legislation

 

TAKING ACTION TOGETHER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Don't let the UK become a safe haven for war criminals

Dear Supporter, We recently asked you to help us prevent the UK Government from seriously undermining the law on Universal Jurisdiction. Over 7,000 of you have now emailed Gordon Brown, which I deeply appreciate – thank you. Since I last wrote to you I've had some very interesting discussions with a range of lawyers and parliamentarians and have learnt that our action has been making a real impact. 123 MPs have now supported an Early Day Motion on the issue, which is great news. (Early Day Motions are formal motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons – they are used to demonstrate the extent of parliamentary support for a cause). However, it has become clear that now is the time to step up the campaign to ensure the government doesn't erode our war crimes legislation. Take Action Our pressure has been working but we must make another push – please email Gordon Brown today (if you've already done so, bump up the pressure by emailing again). And please forward this email onto friends, colleagues and family and urge them to take action too – let's see if we can make it a message he can't ignore with 10,000 emails.  You can also lobby your MP to sign Early Day Motion 502 on Universal Jurisdiction if they have not already done so. Find out who your MP is and write to them at writetothem.com Get informed The government's proposed legislation changes would see magistrates lose their powers to issue arrest warrants for suspected war criminals visiting the UK. This would make it extremely difficult for victims of the world's worst human rights violations to hold suspected perpetrators to account. To find out everything you need to know about this issue, read our special briefing. Thank you once again for your support. Sincerely, Kristyan Benedict Campaign Manager Crisis Response & Country Priorities

Multiply your action by getting your friends to take it too – just copy and paste the paragraph below to pass it on: "We urgently need your help to prevent the government from seriously undermining the law on Universal Jurisdiction. If the government are successful, magistrates will lose their powers to issue arrest warrants for suspected war criminals visiting the UK. We must not let Britain become a safe haven for perpetrators of the world's worst human rights violations. Find out more and email Gordon Brown. "