Interpol urged to arrest Israeli war criminals

TEHRAN: Iran's President yesterday accused Israel of mass murder and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinians, two days after his denunciation of the Jewish state as racist prompted a walkout from a UN meeting on race.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a conference in Tehran on Israel's "genocide and war crimes" in Gaza that Iran had asked Interpol to arrest 25 "Zionist war criminals" for the assault on the Strip in December and January.

"Siege and mass murder of the Palestinians in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in other occupied areas are all considered as ... crimes committed by the Zionist regime," Ahmadinejad told prosecutors from Islamic countries.

Last month, Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi said Iran had drawn up charges, including "war crimes, invasion, occupation, genocide and crimes against humanity", against 34 Israeli commanders and 115 others.

Iran, which does not recognise Israel's right to exist, said in December it had set up a court to try Israelis for attacking Gaza and it was ready to try those it accused in absentia.

Source : Gulf Daily News