Major General (retired) Doron Almog today spent some time ‘airside’ at Heathrow airport before taking a return flight to Israel. He had learned that he was facing arrest by British police after a decision on 10th September 2005 by Senior District Judge Timothy Workman to issue a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of committing a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949 which is a criminal offence in the UK under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957.
The application was prepared by Hickman & Rose, based on evidence collected with help from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, acting for victims in Gaza. The warrant issued on 10th September 2005 is in relation to the destruction of 59 houses in Rafah refugee camp on 10th January 2002.
The issue of this warrant against a senior Israeli soldier followed years of failed efforts to litigate these concerns through the Israeli judicial system. It demonstrates the application of the legal principle of universal jurisdiction over war crimes.
The execution of the warrant was frustrated when its existence became public prior to arrest.
Hickman & Rose has acted in similar cases from other areas of the world, involving different racial, ethnic and religious groups where the laws of war and/or the absolute prohibition on torture have apparently been violated. No other warrants have been publicised in this fashion.
