Press Releases & Updates 2004

Last March, a few days before the war on Iraq, Paul and Margaret cut their way into Fairford Air Force base. They disabled trucks used for carrying bombs, and tankers for fuelling the U.S. B-52 bombers waiting to attack Iraq. They have been charged with criminal damage and conspiracy. This action was followed by those of Phil Pritchard and Toby Olditch, and of Josh Richards - arrested while trying to reach and disarm a B-52 bomber. The defence of all five activists, against charges of conspiracy and criminal damage, is that they aimed at preventing the crime of the Iraq war.

The five days hearing before Justice Grigson will address the key question: Are defendants in a British court allowed to argue that the war on Iraq was a war crime, or are such questions outside the court’s remit? This will be the first time this issue has been addressed in a British court.

A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said: "At Bristol the criminal justice system in this country has a great opportunity to confirm its independence from the British state and that the actions of that state and its personnel are not above the law. We have to get to the point where humanitarian law is allowed to hold sway, whether relating to this war of aggression or the active deployment of weapons of mass destruction like Trident. We hope the court can rise to this fundamental challenge."

Printer friendly version

Home | Top