The Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal Begins Today

November 12th, 2023 - by Code Pink, National Lawyers Guild, Peace Action, Environmentalists Against War, World BEYOND War

People’s Tribunal of Corporate War Profiteers
Starts Sunday, November 12
Code Pink, National Lawyers Guild, Peace Action, Environmentalists Against War, World BEYOND War

This is an amazing project that has been in the works for over a year!!!
An Online War Crimes Tribunal to take place over many months.
Each event will be recorded and made available to all.
First installment airs on Sunday, November 12: 8pm ET, 5pm PT.

The first episode will focus on Israel’s aerial bombardment against the people in Gaza, an historically monumental atrocity that could not happen at this time without the aircraft, missiles and bombs produced by three of the four defendants on trial before the Tribunal – Lockheed Martin, Boeing and RTX (Raytheon).

REGISTER HERE
The Opening Session of the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal begins on November 12 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Now is the time to register: registration link.

The Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal will hold accountable — through testimony of witnesses — US weapons manufacturers who produce and sell products which attack and kill not only combatants but non-combatants as well. These manufacturers may have committed Crimes Against Humanity as well as violated US Federal criminal laws. The Tribunal will hear the evidence and render a verdict.

Please join us Sunday, November 12th, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. (EST) for the livestreamed Opening Session of the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal holding US Weapons Manufacturers accountable for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity. 

The first episode will focus on Israel’s aerial bombardment against the civilian population in Gaza — an historically monumental atrocity that could not happen at this time without the aircraft, missiles and bombs produced by three of the four defendants on trial before the Tribunal — Lockheed Martin, Boeing and RTX (Raytheon).

World BEYOND War will be hosting this Opening Session of the People’s Tribunal.

Once the Opening Session concludes, the entire Tribunal will be streamed via video links over consecutive weeks examining War Crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Gaza, and Yemen.

The role of Lobbying, Think Tanks, the “Revolving Door,” and other means by which these predatory capitalists enrich themselves through war will be explored.

 

Featuring Expert Testimony
Testifying at the Tribunal will be Cornel West, Richard Falk, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Norman Solomon, John Pilger, Jeremy Kuzmarov, Christian Sorensen, William Astore, Aisha Jumaan, Matt Aikens, Marie Dennis, Dr. Kelly Denton-Borhaug, and numerous others.

The Tribunal Judges will deliberate on the evidence presented and render a verdict at the conclusion of all testimony.

Kathy Kelly and Nick Mottern.

Tribunal Background
Organised by three exemplary campaigners from the peace movement – Kathy Kelly, Nick Mottern, and Brad Wolf, this war crimes tribunal aims to hold accountable US weapons manufacturers who knowingly are producing, selling, and making enormous profits from an industry which is responsible for the deaths of thousands in armed conflicts around the world.

Planned for November 2023, the event has brought together some of the most well-known organisations in the peace world such as World Beyond War, Code Pink, Ban Killer Drones, PAX Christi USA, Veterans for Peace, and indeed ourselves here at Better World Info.

The tribunal members are made up of celebrated attorneys, political activists, human rights defenders, law professors, combat veterans, and diplomats. Many of whom have witnessed and suffered first-hand the tragedy of war, and the devastating humanitarian consequences.

The Merchants of Death tribunal will hear evidence through a series of testimonies and interviews which will be later be reviewed and a verdict rendered. War crimes, and crimes against humanity, and the violation of US Federal law are the potential charges that could be faced.

So far, subpoenas have been served to Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, and General Atomics. They must provide to the tribunal ‘all documents revealing their complicity in aiding and abetting the United States government in committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, bribery, and theft.’

The global arms trade is big business. US arms sales to foreign governments rose by 49% to $205.6 billion in 2022. The US is by far the world’s biggest arms exporter. These weapons are fuelling conflict, death, misery, destruction, repression, displacement, human rights abuses, and global instability.

The US Military-Industrial-Complex urgently needs to be controlled, regulated, and held to account. Human lives are not merely collateral damage in the race for more profit and power. If this group of peace activists can achieve a guilty verdict, they can hope to set a precedent for curbing this business of death in countries all over the world.

For related topics be sure to check out our guides to Conflict Regions, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Nuclear Disarmament, the Military, ABC Weapons, and Peace.

For Further Reading on the Merchants of Death
War Crimes Tribunal, See Below:

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•  Please share this registration link with your social media followers on all the platforms that you use.
•  Urge them to register, share the registration link, and to watch the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal series.
•  We must spread the word to everyone we can.
•  More information about the Tribunal can be found here.