20th August 2002
GADAFFI UN HUMAN RIGHTS ROLE 'BEGGARS BELIEF'
North West Tory MEP David Sumberg says the Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi should be withdrawn from his appointment as chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights with immediate effect.
Mr Sumberg said the appointment was offensive to Britain and an affront to democracy.
“I am stunned at this appointment,’ he said. “And I will be making objections to the European Parliament about it. It simply should never have been allowed to happen.”
Mr Sumberg said under the authority of Colonel Gaddafi Libya has blatantly supported terrorism in particular the IRA.
“Disgracefully it has taken Gaddafi’s regime 15 years to accept Libyan ‘general responsibility’ for the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher who was shot dead outside the Libyan Embassy in London in 1984, while policing a demonstration against Gaddafi,’ he said. “Yet her killer still hasn’t been brought to justice.”
“How on earth can the UN - of all organisations – justify putting Gaddafi in any position let alone the chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission.
"Surely the UN must be aware of the negative message this sends to the millions of starving and oppressed Zimbabweans, whose human rights are being increasingly violated. Colonel Gaddafi's support, both financially and morally, of Robert Mugabe and his illegitimate regime serves only to reinforce the absurdity of this appointment.”