Press Releases & Updates 1998

Sandra Robertson, wife of Defence Secretary George, has been persuaded to ceremonially bless Britain’s new Trident nuclear weapon submarine, the new HMS Vengeance, at its launch this Saturday at Barrow -in -Furness. Vengeance will be the fourth Trident sub and its completion undermines the UK government’s claim to work for a world free of nuclear weapons.

While the official ceremony is going on protesters will attempt a citizens’ war crimes inspection of the launch area and will demonstrate against this increase in Britian’s potential for mass destruction.

Meanwhile, just down the road from Sandra’s Dunblane home, 5 woman are in Cornton Vale Prison awaiting trial for disarmament actions against the UK’s escalating nuclear weapons system, while two men are being held at Gateside prison in Greenock. Two of the prisoners, Angie Zelter and Jens Light, along with Anja, Jen’s sister who had been bailed, will appear at the District Court at the Victoria Halls in Helensburgh at 10 a.m. on Tuesday 22nd September, charged with malicious mischief and the breach of bye-laws.

The three will base their defence on the primacy of international humanitarian law and will be supported outside the court by fellow TP2000 activists who will visually represent the continuity of humanitarian law in armed conflict, from the Celtic Monk Adomnan to Judge Bedjaoui of the International Court of Justice which delivered its landmark Advisory Opinion in 1996 that" the threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to international law."

On Wednesday 23rd the only Scot on remand for disarmament action, Ian Thomson, will appear at Dumbarton Sheriff Court at 10 a.m.

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