VIGIL at Russian Embassy

dublin | miscellaneous | event notice Wednesday August 20, 2008 10:03 by Susan

The Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) Ireland and Afri will hold a vigil outside the Russian embassy in Dublin on Wednesday, 20 August 2008, at 12.00pm. The event has been organized to protest Russia’s use of cluster bombs in Georgia, just three months after 107 nations agreed to ban this indiscriminate weapon at the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions.

Human Rights Watch has confirmed that Russian aircraft dropped RBK-250 cluster bombs, each containing 30 PTAB 2.5M submunitions, on the town of Ruisi in the Kareli district of Georgia on August 12, 2008. Three civilians were killed and five wounded in the attack. On the same day, a cluster strike in the centre of the town of Gori killed at least eight civilians and injured dozens, according to Human Rights Watch.

Ireland has been leading international efforts to secure a total prohibition on the use, trade and production of cluster munitions. The Irish Government hosted and chaired the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions, 19-30 May 2008, where 107 countries adopted a treaty banning the use, production and stockpiling of cluster munitions. The CMC Ireland and Afri call on the Irish Government to continue to show leadership on this issue and to protest in the strongest possible terms to the Russian government for their use of one of the world’s deadliest and most indiscriminate weapons.

Come along and support us.

Wednesday, 20 August, 12.00 - 13.00
Russian Embassy in Dublin, 184-186 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 14

For further information contact Susan @ 01 860 3431