Amnesty International Urges President Bush to Call for Independent Investigation

(Washington, DC) -- Observing the one-year anniversary of the killing of Rachel Corrie, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) today renewed its call for an independent investigation of her death. Corrie, a US citizen, was apparently trying to stop the demolition of a Palestinian building in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip when an Israeli army bulldozer ran her over, crushing her to death.

Amnesty International believes prior investigations -- conducted by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) -- failed to resolve contradictions between the official IDF position and eyewitness testimonies. While the US government has assisted in the investigations into cases of US citizens killed by Palestinian armed groups, it has failed to do so in Corrie's case, raising the appearance of a double standard.

"As Rachel Corrie was an American citizen, the US government has a particular responsibility to ensure a thorough, proper and impartial investigation," said Krista Riddley, AIUSA's Advocacy Director for the Middle East. "When President Bush meets with Prime Minister Sharon later this month, he ought to make clear that the evidence demands proper independent investigation with the assistance of US law enforcement agencies."

Amnesty International urged members of the US House of Representatives to join 56 of their colleagues in supporting House Concurrent Resolution 111, which calls on the US government to undertake a "full, fair and expeditious investigation" into Rachel's death and to work with the Israeli government in investigating the cause of the incident.

Amnesty International has also called for an investigation into the wounding of Brian Avery, another US citizen who was shot in Jenin on April 5th, 2003. Avery was seriously wounded when Israeli troops opened fire on him, despite the fact that he reportedly had his hands up and was wearing a vest that identified him as an international worker.

Amnesty International has consistently condemned violations by all parties in the tragic cycle of violence that has killed and injured many hundreds of civilians.

The organization recognizes that the Israeli government not only has the right but the obligation to ensure the safety if its civilians, but that the use of force be conducted in accordance with international laws and norms. The failure to fully investigate deaths and prosecute those responsible is contributing to a culture of impunity and perpetuating the cycle of violence in the region.