News Update -Fairford PoWAWs

22 Jun 2003 :

Here is an update from one of the defentants on the
cases of the Fairford anti-war POWs:

"The judge in Gloucester Crown Court has ruled that
the hearing, and the ruling, on the legality of the
war on Iraq will now be heard at some time in
September.

The occasion for the hearing on the legality of the
war is the trial by jury of four groups of defendants.
All of these defendants are charged with anti-war
actions at the US Air Force base at Fairford,
Gloucestershire, in the two months before the start of
the war on Iraq .

The preliminary hearing on the legality (or otherwise)
of the war will f orm part of the first case to be
heard, that of Milling and Jones . The outcome of this
"legality" hearing will also determine what witnesses
the defendants in each of the other three cases are
allowed to call, and the nature of the "lawful excuse"
arguments they will be able to invoke .

All defendants are now out on bail, and subject to the
same bail connections . This ruling has been very
unjust to Kate Holcombe, who was distressed to find,
at the Plea and Directions hearing on June the 20th,
that, in conformity with bail conditions imposed on
the other defendants, she was banned from going within
two miles of USAF Fairford . ( Prior to this point,
Kate was allowed to go within two metres of the USAF
Fairford fence ! Her lawyers are understood to be
taking up the matter .)

At least one other hearing on the legality of the war
on Iraq is under way already - in Southampton
Magistrates' court. This hearing arises from a
remarkable Greenpeace action, that went largely
unpublicised by the media - an effective blockade of
the military harbour at Southampton, delaying the
loading of supplies onto ships bound for the Gulf.
This hearing takes place on July the 22nd..."

Contacts:

PS Bristol ABC <bristol_abc@yahoo.co.uk>

Get ready to mobilise for September!!!