Written question asked by Lord Avebury (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 1 April 1996. It was answered by Baroness Chalker of Wallasey (Conservative) on Monday, 1 April 1996.

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Chalker of Wallasey, RtHonBaroness

Question

Whether they agree that crimes against humanity, as defined in Article 3 of the Statute of the International Tribunal for Rwanda, and violations of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II, are crimes of universal jurisdiction, and if so, what arrangements they have made, together with other states, for the collection of witness statements and other evidence, preparatory to bringing charges against Saddam Hussain and his principal lieutenants for these crimes, and in particular for the mass murder by chemical weapons of over 5,000 men, women and children in the town of Halabja on 17th March 1988.

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Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

571 2WA

Session

1995-96

Subjects

Chemical weapons Crimes against humanity Jurisdiction Geneva Conventions Iraq Kurds