AUSA to lodge police complaint over Rice visit

Representatives of the Auckland University Students’ Association (AUSA) will lodge a formal complaint over United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the Auckland Central Police station at 2.30pm this afternoon.

Yesterday AUSA offered any Auckland University student a $5000 reward if they are able to make a successful citizen's arrest of United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her visit to Auckland this weekend, for her role in overseeing the illegal invasion and continued occupation of Iraq.

“While we still hope an Auckland University student might be able to make a successful citizen’s arrest of Rice, we are also pursuing official channels available to us to have this war criminal arrested,” said AUSA President David Do.

“Student associations in New Zealand have a long history of being involved in fighting for global justice, dating back to student involvement in the 1981 anti-Springbok tour protests and the US war in Indochina in the 1960s and 1970s. By opposing Rice’s visit and seeking her arrest we seek to continue that proud tradition,” says David Do.

“We believe that Rice’s involvement in the authorisation of the torture of suspected terrorists is a crime under two separate New Zealand statutes, the Geneva Conventions Act 1958 and the Crimes of Torture Act 1989*, and are asking the New Zealand Police to arrest and prosecute Rice for her involvement in these crimes,” says AUSA International Affairs Officer Omar Hamed.

“Rice’s authorisation of the use of physical torture of suspected terrorists including simulated drowning (waterboarding) and physical assaults would make Rice liable to be prosecuted and sentenced to up to fourteen years under New Zealand law. We hope the Police act swiftly to bring to justice someone whose crimes stretch across oceans,” concluded Mr Hamed.

ENDS

*Supplementary notes of these statutes are attached.

For more information, contact:

David Do
AUSA President
021 567 696 (available before 8am and after 10am due to class)
09 309 0789 extn 373

Omar Hamed
AUSA International Affairs Officer
021 230 6783

ausa_to_lodge_police_complaint_over_rice_visit.doc

Related

http://www.ausa.org.nz