Invitation to a hearing:

Tuesday 14 March, 15.30-18.15
European Parliament, Strasbourg, Room S 2.1.

US ANTI-WAR ACTIVIST CINDY SHEEHAN AND EUROPEAN WAR RESISTERS TO GIVE EVIDENCE AT STRASBOURG HEARING

You are invited to a hearing with Cindy Sheehan and European War Resisters - on the right of soldiers to refuse to participate in wars violating international law.

Witnesses:
Cindy Sheehan, anti-war activist (US)
Florian Pfaff, anti-aggression war activist (Germany)
Hart Viges, Iraq Veterans against the War (US)
George Solomou, Royal Army Medical Corps (UK)
Rudi Friedrich, Connections e.V. (Germany)

Chair:
Caroline Lucas (Co-Chair Intergroup on Peace Initiatives, Greens)
Tobias Pflüger (Co-Chair Intergroup on Peace Initiatives, GUE/NGL)

Languages:
English, French, German

Please note that those people not already in possession of a valid parliamentary pass will need to contact us to gain access to the hearing. Please contact either the office of Tobias Pflueger on 0032 2284 5555 or the office of Caroline Lucas on 0032 2 284 5153.


Activists who have put themselves and their careers on the line for peace will ask the European Parliament to support them through a resolution which reaffirms the principle of the right to refuse to participate in war contrary to international law. They want to draw attention to the situation of soldiers and draftees refusing to serve in the Iraq War or to support the War on Iraq.

You will be able to hear from and put questions to:

Cindy Sheehan, Anti war activist

Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey is one of the many US soldiers killed inIraq, has been tirelessly campaigning against the war in Iraq. In her own words:

"Not only do we not need to love our government's policies. When they are evil, we have a patriotic obligation to oppose them with all our strength. When the Bush administration uses white phosphorous on innocent men, women, children, and babies, when it uses illegal imprisonment and immoral torture on fellow members of the human race, when it invades and occupies another country that is no threat to the USA, we must say No." (Cindy Sheehan, 3 January 2006)

Florian Pfaff, ANTI-AGGRESSION-WAR ACTIVIST

Florian Pfaff is an officer in the German Bundeswehr, who became known when he refused to comply with certain orders concerning the Iraq war. After release from psychiatric examination, which resulted in no pathological diagnosis, his superiors ordered him to refrain from checking whether he was involved in a criminal act. He resisted that and finally won his case on appeal to the Wehrdienstsenat (military service senate) of the Bundesverwaltungsgericht (German administrative court).
Now Florian Pfaff is fighting with peaceful means for the universal acceptance of human rights and the priority of law and morality over power.

Hart Viges, us iraq war veteran, Veterans against the War

Hart Viges signed up for military service after September 11, 2001 thinking that this was how he could make a contribution to a better world. He was deployed in Iraq and found that this war was not the answer. We will hear his powerful, first hand testimony of what he found there and how this has changed him and his life.

George Solomou, ex - royal Army medical corps

George Solomou was a lance corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps, attached to the London Irish Rifles. He is a member of Military Families Against the War. In his letter of resignation to his commanding officer he said: "I am resigning from the Territorial Army because I believe the war in Iraq is wrong. This has not been an easy decision. I have been in the TA for five years - years in which I have learned a lot; won a humanitarian award for helping save the life of a fellow soldier; made many friends; and, I hope, contributed something to this country.

I have no doubt that some of my fellow soldiers will feel I am letting them down. Since I have spoken out against the war in the last few weeks I have had a lot of support from soldiers, but I have also been called a coward. I am a trained medic and there is no doubt my skills could be used in the field to save lives. But after a lot of soul-searching I have concluded my priority must be to try to save lives by taking a public stand against this war."

Rudi Friedrich, Connection e.v.

Rudi Friedrich represents Connection e.V., an organization based in Germany which works on an international basis for the rights of conscientious objectors. He is known as an expert for counselling and attending conscientious objectors from countries like former Yugoslavia, Turkey, USA, Russia, Eritrea, who are seeking support, shelter or asylum in Germany and other EU-countries.