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Contents : EMBARGO 12TH DECEMBER 2010. International League Human Rights (Germany) awards the Carl-von-Ossietzky Medal to Mordechai Vanunu and campaign for His freedom from Israel to come to Berlin to receive this prize Speech: CRIMINALITY OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND DETERRENCE By Mairead Maguire (Nobel Peace Laureate) Berlin. 12th December 2010. My Dear Friends I am happy to be visiting the very beautiful City of Berlin. I was here in 2009 when I had the joy of attending the opening of the Berlin Centre for Nonkilling. This gave me great hope that indeed our thinking is changing from the myth that force or the threat of force violence nuclear weapons militarism and war can solve any problems or bring Human security. Today we are becoming increasingly aware that Human and Environmental security does not come from violence but must be based on the practise of truth and love and the implementation of Human Rights and International Law. We are increasing aware too that killing and threats to kill underlie all other threats to the survival and wellbeing of humanity and it was with this in mind that the Nobel Peace Laureates Charter for a world without violence in its Article 13 states We each have a right not to be killed and a responsibility not to kill others . Starting from this fundamental principle I believe we can each do our part to end the greatest threats to human survival i.e. militarism nuclear weapons and war and replace them with International and Humanitarian Laws. I am therefore very happy to be returning to Berlin at the invitation of the International League of Human Rights (Germany) to participate in the bestowal of the Carl-von-Ossietzky award to Mordechai Vanunu the Israeli Nuclear Whistle Blower. Vanunu a man who recognized the dangers of nuclear genocidal weapons and his personal responsibility to do what he could to protect the lives of others against these Weapons of mass destruction. I would like to offer my congratulations to Mordechai Vanunu on being awarded this important award. Karl-von-Ossietzky was a man of courage who suffered and died in a concentration camp for his principled opposition to the Nazi Regime. Mordechai Vanunu suffered for his principled opposition to Nuclear weapons when he was convicted and spent 18 years in an Israeli prison (l2 in solitary) for telling the world Israel has a nuclear weapon programme. Twenty-four years later he continues to suffer as he is denied by Israel his basic human rights of freedom of speech and freedom to leave Israel which he wants to do. It is fitting that Vanunu be awarded this K-V-O medal as both men shared a passion for Human Rights and human dignity and were willing to pay the price of suffering for being truth tellers in order to protect humanity. When the ILHR decided to award the Prize to Vanunu they also together with IALANA (International Ass. Of Lawyers against Nuclear arms (Germany) and IPPNW (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (Germany) launched a campaign asking the Israeli Government to allow Vanunu to come to Berlin to accept his prize. It is shameful that the Israeli 2 Government has yet again refused to allow Vanunu to leave Israel and continues to break International Law by denying Vanunu his freedom. This behaviour by Israel is not acceptable to the International Community. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights codified in Article 12 the fundamental right to be free in leaving any country including ones own. We therefore call upon the Israeli Government to uphold its obligations as a member of the UN and International Community and free Vanunu. We call upon Germany and all other National Governments the UN EU Human Rights Commission and International community to take action to insist the Israel Government behave according to HR and International Law and frees Vanunu immediately. We the International community are not powerless in the face of Israeli illegality we will continue to campaign until Vanunu is free so he can come to Berlin to receive his prize which the ILHR (Germany) will hold for him. We can also continue to work for what Mordechai Vanunu passionately believes in A Nuclear free Middle East and a World without Nuclear Weapons. The whole world knows Israel has Nuclear Weapons (this was conceded by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in 2006 during a visit to Germany) and is the third largest nuclear power in the world. We therefore call on them to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty open its Dimona Nuclear plant to inspection move to abolish their nuclear weapons and participate in Secretary General UN s future conference on a Nuclear Free Middle East. By taking such action Israel would give real leadership for peace in Middle East and help end the danger of nuclear proliferation. We have not far to look to see the horror of nuclear weapons and war. I have just returned from Hiroshima where 65 years ago th

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