The former U.S. president has cancelled a speech he was to give in Geneva, Switzerland, because he fears he will be arrested. Organizations and private citizens have filed charges accusing him of committing crimes involving torture in Iraq.
Former President George W. Bush cancelled a trip to Geneva, Switzerland planned for Saturday for fear of criminal prosecution and possible arrest. The trip was cancelled because of charges filed by several organizations and individuals against him accusing him of being responsible for torture and war crimes committed by soldiers, intelligence agents, and security personnel under his command in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo, and other locations.
The Jewish organization Keren Hayesod had invited the former president to be keynote speaker at a dinner gala, whereupon Amnesty International, the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), as well as the populist conservative Swiss People’s Party (SVP) filed charges against Bush with the Swiss federal government and the General Secretary of the Geneva Canton for violating United Nations anti-torture laws as well as the Geneva Conventions.
The charges were rejected on the grounds that Bush enjoyed immunity from prosecution even after leaving office. That was demonstrably untrue, as was proven in the 700-page Amnesty International indictment against him. In order to avoid an international incident, Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey urgently requested that Bush forego his planned trip.
Organizers of the dinner gala first officially claimed that Bush would not attend due to concerns over planned protest demonstrations. This unverified version was accepted by the media although it ran counter to claims by Geneva police officials that they “unconditionally guaranteed” Bush’s security during his visit. Even the U.S. embassy in Bern confirmed that Bush’s visit was cancelled “solely” due to the threat of his possible criminal prosecution and arrest.
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