Nigerian groups want Tony Blair barred from speaking at NBA conference

*Tony Blair

(Nigeria) A coalition of Nigerian civil society groups, has called on  Chairman, Technical Committee on Conference Planning, TCCP, of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Prof Koyinsola Ajayi, SAN, to withdraw the invitation extended to former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to speak at the annual lawyers gathering.

The coalition in a statement on Tuesday,  said, “We are a network of advocates and non-profit organisations, committed to promoting international criminal justice across Africa. We hereby, request that the NBA withdraws the invitation it extended to Mr Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister, to speak at its 60th Annual Conference taking place between August 26 and 28, 2020, because Mr Blair has been widely accused to have committed war crimes and crimes of aggression in Iraq along with former US President, George W Bush. Both crimes are international crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, ICC.

“Mr Blair has been confirmed by UK government inquiry into the US/UK – led invasion of Iraq to have lied that Saddam Hussein on Iraq stockpiled weapons of mass destruction, when he had intelligence report to the contrary. It was on basis of those lies that Iraq was invaded in 2003, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

“There have been legal proceedings in the UK as well as widespread legal campaigns around the world including in Africa, to bring Mr Blair to justice for committing war crimes and crime of aggression by invading Iraq in 2003 to overthrow its leader. The Chilcot report, a UK government’s inquiry into Britain’s role in the war, concluded that Mr  Blair clearly knew at the time that Iraq had no weapon of mass destruction

“Furthermore, according to notable British media, The Independent, a third of British People want to see Mr Tony Blair tried as a war criminal over Iraq, and several requests for indictment have been submitted to the Office of the Trial Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, ICC. It has been established beyond doubt that Mr Blair knowingly misled the UK parliament and the public in the invasion of Iraq, and should be tried as a war criminal.

“We hereby, protest the invitation of Mr Blair to the NBA AGC 2020, despite Nigeria’s leading position in the International Criminal Court. Nigeria is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, and the current President of the Court is a Nigerian, Judge Chile eboe –Osuji.

“We therefore, request the NBA conference technical committee to withdraw its invitation to Mr. Tony Blair.  The mission of the NBA is to promote the rule of law and the association cannot justifiably provide platform for such persons alleged to have committed war crimes.”

The groups are Arican Network for the International Criminal Justice, ANICJ; Nigerian Coalition for the International Criminal Court, NCICC; Moyo Pan Afrikan Solidarity Centre; Centre for Labour studies; Legal Defence and Assistance project, LEDAP; People’s Alternative Font; and Civil Society Network Against Corruption.