G4S is a private security company that provides services and equipment to Israeli occupation prisons at which Palestinian political prisoners, including children, are held without trial and tortured. G4S also provides equipment and services to checkpoints in the separation wall, ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004.
Since October 1st 2015, there have been more than 2498 arrests of Palestinians by Israeli forces, including at least 444 children. Many of these political prisoners are being held in prisons G4S is helping Israel to run.
G4S has also been criticised for its role in human rights abuses in prisons and detention centres it runs in South Africa, the US and the UK, and in numerous cases of deaths in custody.
Despite G4S’ role in human rights abuses in Palestine and across the world the European Commission/European External Action Service (EC/EEAS) has a number of major contracts with the international security company G4S signed in the several European countries: Luxembourg, Finland, Latvia, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Malta, Estonia, Cyprus, Austria, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden, Ireland, United Kingdom, Hungary, Greece. In doing so, the EU is turning a blind eye to the role that G4S plays in Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and in human rights abuses all over the world.
The inspiring international campaign against G4S over its complicity with Israeli violations of human rights and international law has seen it loose contracts with businesses and universities across the world; the Gates Foundation, Columbia University, Kings Collage London, United Church of Christ, and United Methodist Church have divested from the company. G4S now says it might consider ending its role in Israel’s prison system, which is all the more reason we need to keep the pressure up.
In December 2015 thirty-eight MEP’s sent a letter to the EC/EEAS urging them not to renew its contract with G4S. Their call has sparked the European action that aims to pressure the European Commission/EEAS to terminate its contract with G4S.
The action demands that the European Commission terminates its contracts with G4S and make appropriate changes to their financial regulations so as to provide for the exclusion of firms that are guilty of, or render themselves complicit, in grave violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Join ECCP and organisations across the world in calling on the EU to drop its contracts with G4S.
Use the form HERE to send a message to the European Commission.
Please use the hashtag #EUdropG4S. Send a message to EEAS’ (European External Action Service) Mrs Mogherini’s and President Juncker’s twitter accounts urging them to stop EU contract with G4S:
Thank you for helping us build the #EUstopG4S campaign!