Denial of Airspace to Bolivian Leader Resonates at U.N. [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Denial of Airspace to Bolivian Leader Resonates at U.N.
Published on July 11th, 2013
Written by: Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 11 2013 (IPS) – The growing political uproar over the unlawful denial of European airspace for a jet carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales has spilled over into the United Nations.

The 120-member Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the largest single political grouping in the world body, has expressed its “deep concern over the flagrant violation of the diplomatic immunity” of a sitting head of state.

“This serious incident put at risk the life of the Head of State of a sovereign developing country and the entourage that accompanied him by forcing the official airplane that carried him to make an emergency landing in Austria,” said the NAM statement.

“The Heads of State and their airplanes enjoy full immunity in accordance with international law,” the group asserted.

On Tuesday, a delegation of ambassadors from Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to register a formal protest over the violation of diplomatic immunity. The meeting was followed by widespread speculation that the issue may surface at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and possibly before the 193-member General Assembly in New York.

More:
http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/07/denial-of-airspace-to-bolivian-leader-resonates-at-u-n/