To: Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission
From: Swedish Professors and Doctors for Human Rights
Dear Dr. Von del Leyen,
Swedish Professors and Doctors for Human Rights SWEDHR was founded to essentially work for the authorities’ compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the denouncing of breaches against them. Our first ever public activity was the condemning via Swedish medical journals, of the bombing of Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Afghanistan. It followed the denouncing of war crimes in conflict zones elsewhere, and the human-rights transgressions exercised by Western powers towards medical doctors and journalists. Most prominent is the case of the unjustified prosecution of Julian Assange, initiated thirteen years ago in Sweden. On behalf of the US, now continuing in the UK, where he is held prisoner pending extradition –for have denounced war crimes.
In the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we once more state our firm commitment to this noble chart, as we solemnly stated in our Foundation Manifest of 2014.
1. On this occasion, we call anew on the EU Council and EU governments for the respect and full applicability of Article 19 of the Human Rights Declaration regarding freedom of expression. Namely, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” The EU Council and EU governments should ask their NATO partners for the immediate freedom of journalist Julian Assange.
2. We call on the EU Council and EU governments to fully comply with the appeal of the UN General Secretary on the Gaza war. Meaning: ceasefire, facilitation of medical and humanitarian aid, and the denouncing and investigation of war crimes.
3. We call on the EU Council and EU governments to actively support and protect the work of Médecins Sans Frontières in Gaza, where at least three medical colleagues have been killed so far under Israeli attacks.
4. We call on the EU Council and the EU governments, particularly the government of Sweden, to denounce the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Sincerely,
Professor Emeritus Med dr. Marcello Ferrada de Noli, chair
Professor Emeritus Med dr. Anders Romelsjö, vice chair
Chief Medical Dr. Ove Johansson, in representation of the founding Board of Directors
Swedish Professors and Doctors for Human Rights (SWEDHR)
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