Iranian-Canadian activist Mehdi Samadian launched a petition against nomination of Irwin Cotler for Nobel Peace Prize. Recently it was reported that former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin nominated Mr. Cotler for Nobel Peace Prize.
Click here to review the full text of the petition.
The petition organizers believe that Irwin Cotler has supported and advocated for political actors and policies “instigating conflicts and prolonging instability at the international stage”. They further add three main reasons to support their argument:
- Mr. Cotler’s support for Israeli policies against the rights of the Palestinian people. On several occasions he has even criticized Canada and the UN whenever they have called on Israel to respect the rights of Palestinians.
- Irwin Cotler’s advocacy for delisting the notorious Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) from the list of terrorist organizations in Canada in 2012 and his regular participation and support for this formerly designated organization.
- And his support for sanctions on Iran and his lobbying efforts, especially through neo-conservative lobby groups in DC, against the Iran nuclear agreement (JCPOA).
The petition concludes as following:
While Mr. Cotler’s work as legal counsel to prisoners of conscience is worthy of commendation, in his political career Irwin Cotler has often been bias endorsing policies that further oppressed the Palestinian people, therefore prolonging decades of Palestinian plight to resist Israeli occupation. Moreover, and through his work with neo-conservative lobby groups as well as the infamous MEK and its affiliates Irwin Cotler has tried to undermine the nuclear agreement with Iran seeking to reverse attempts to reinstate peace and mitigating tension in that region. For these reasons we believe that Mr. Cotler fails to meet substantial criteria needed for recognition of a Nobel Peace Prize.
