WHEREAS, In March 2003, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft signed a new extradition treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom, which requires U.S. Senate ratification before implementation and is thus currently awaiting consideration by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and
WHEREAS, This treaty would override all previous British treaties, including the most recent 1986 treaty which contained specific language to ensure that no one would ever be expedited for suspicion of political crimes without a hearing on the charges by a U.S. court of law, language which has been deleted in this current proposed treaty; and
WHEREAS, Irish American organizations and associations across the country have condemned this proposed treaty and have called for its rejection by the Senate, as there are numerous Irish Americans who have deeply rooted mistrust of the British government’s treatment of political dissidents, especially towards those who have actively disputed British claims over the six counties of Northern Ireland; and
WHEREAS, The proposed extradition treaty transfers responsibility for determining whether the extradition request is politically motivated from the federal courts to the executive branch, thus depriving Americans from their day in court; and
WHEREAS, The proposed extradition treaty also would eliminate the statute of limitations as a defense against extradition, allowing the terms of the proposed treaty to apply retroactively for offenses allegedly committed even before the treaty’s ratification, and further will encourage “provisional arrests” and detentions of those suspected of political crimes; and
WHEREAS, This treaty does not make the United States safer or protect its citizens from terrorism, but does remove basic protections for those seeking refuge on our shores and subjects our citizens to extradition based solely on unproven allegations by the British government, and never before in our history has this country subjected the liberty of its citizens to the whims of a foreign government; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the City Council of Philadelphia does hereby urge the United States Senate to show their support for the Irish-American community by rejecting the proposed extradition treaty with the United Kingdom.
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