[JNV] This weeks news and Action points

[Maya Evans]

www.j-n-v.org  
29 Gensing Road St Leonards on Sea TN38 0HE
0845 458 9571
***

Dear All,

This weeks JNV announce includes:

1) Support for Brian Haw who today lost High Court decision
2) Emily Johns (JNV) departs for a 'pre-war art'peace delegation to Iran
3) Continue your support for 'war criminal' Malcolm Kendall Smith
4) Campaign Against Armed Forces Bill

Thanks

***
1) BRIAN FACES EVICTION

Last year the High Court found in favour of Brian Haw and his five 
year anti war demonstration outside Parliament. They ruled that he was 
exempt from the Serious Organized Crime and Police Act 2005 as his
protest
pre-dated the legislation. Since then the Home Office has appealed that
decision
and today Brian lost his right to legally demonstrate within Whitehall
without applying for permission.

The Master of the Rolls, Sir Anthony Clarke, Lord Justice Laws and 
Lady Justice Hallett overturned the decision and refused permission 
for him to appeal to the House of Lords. 

Sir Anthony said: "Parliament intended to include demonstrations 
whenever they started."Any other conclusion would be wholly 
irrational and could fairly be described as manifestly absurd." 

Brian is reported as saying:"This is such a farce. Security? I have 
been here five years keeping the security of Parliament. We are not 
the security risk, we are not the risk to the world, Bush and Blair 
are." <http://news.bbc.co.uk>

Emma Sangster who is the main organizer of the Brian Haw campaign has
said:
"Brian will be appealing the decision. Currently police are meeting to
discuss
how they are going to deal with the eviction, they want to take a softly
softly
approach. In the mean time Brian has applied for permission to continue
his demonstration."


TAKE ACTION!
i) Send a message of support to Brian Haw at c/o Parliament Square 
Westminster London SW1A. To ensure messages reach him put the return 
address c/o Voices in the Wilderness 5 Caledonia Road Kings Cross 
London N1 9DX

ii) Write to the Home Office/ your MP or Newspaper

iii) Keep an eye out for possible solidarity/acts of defiance demos
which
will probably be taking place very soon!!

2) IRANIAN PEACE DELEGATION FOR 'PRE-WAR' ART

Emily Johns (JNV member) is leaving for Iran tomorrow as part of a peace
delegation
designed to promote dialogue and understanding about Iran and the 
possible war.

On her return Emily will be creating pictures about Iran, past and
present, which will be
exhibited initially in Hastings Electric Palace Cinema as part of an
Iran
season of films.

Before leaving for Tehran Emily has said: I firmly believe in the power 
of art to transform.  We are presented with images of a hostile,
war-focused
Iran, which leaves out the gardens of paradise and poetry, the youth and
cultural 
diversity in Iran- and the ordinary people in Iran. We need better
images and
better information about the so-called "Axis of Evil".'

TAKE ACTION!
i) Invite Emily to come and speak about her experiences in Iran and her
art work.
Messages can be forwarded to her via info@j-n-v.org
ii) Emily has produced a range of exquisite prints which can be
purchased.
Again inquiries can be made via the jnv email address.

3) SIGN THE PETITION SUPPORTING MALCOLM KENDALL-SMITH

The Free Malcolm Kendall-Smith Petition was created by Military Families 
Against War

http://www.petitiononline.com/MKSApril/petition.html

To:  John Reid - Secretary of state for Defence

We the undersigned condemn the prison sentence passed on Flight 
Lieutenant Dr Malcolm Kendall-Smith and offer our full solidarity and 
support.

The sentence of eight months passed on him for refusing to serve in 
Basra is an outrage, we demand his immediate release.

He acted on his conscience in refusing to serve in an illegal war. In 
doing so, he acted on behalf of many people in this country.

The judges remarks that orders have to be obeyed also give cause for 
concern. The Nuremberg trials after the 2nd World War established that 
obeying illegal orders was no defence against charges of war crimes.

It is even more unjust that Kendall-Smith has been jailed while the 
advocates and perpetrators of this war have never been held to account.


4) CAMPAIGN AGAINST ARMED FORCES BILL

NO life sentence for soldiers who refuse to be occupiers

The Armed Forces Bill now going through the UK Parliament would impose 
harsh penalties on soldiers who refuse to take  part in military 
occupations.

Section 8  which has hardly been mentioned in the media -- introduces a 
new tougher definition of desertion: soldiers who intend to avoid 
serving in a military occupation of a foreign country or territory  can 
be imprisoned for life.

This major redrafting of military law has been introduced at a time when 
the number of soldiers absconding from the British Army has trebled 
since the invasion of Iraq   a clear attack on the growing movement of 
men and women in the military who refuse to be part of wars, in Iraq, 
Afghanistan, Iran. . . . It contravenes the Nuremberg Charter which 
enshrined in international law the responsibility that each of us has to 
refuse to obey illegal and immoral orders from any government. At the 
same time the UK Defence Secretary is urging that the Geneva Convention 
be rewritten to legalise pre-emptive military action.

For more information see Independent on Sunday, of 19 March 2006
http://www.refusingtokill.net/UKGulfwar2/Soldiersgoingawolhavetrebled.htm

TAKE ACTION!
i) Sign the international petition at Petition on Line
http://www.petitiononline.com/UKArmedF/petition.html

ii) See www.refusingtokill.net for more information on what you can do.
-- 
  Maya Evans
  mayaevans@fastmail.co.uk