Francis Boyle Iran Can Sue Over US Threats.flv.flv
Channel: NewsWorldWide1
Date: 06/07/2012

Prominent international lawyer and law professor at the University of Illinois, Francis Boyle is of the opinion that Iran should sue the US at the International Court of Justice for Washington's refusal to engage in direct negotiation with Tehran and its threats of military strike against the Islamic Republic.

"I've been a lawyer since January 10, 1977. And if someone is ignoring to talk to you sue them, and then they have to talk to you," says Boyle, professor of international law at the university.

"But if the US government is not going to do that (accept to negotiate), then it seems to me Iran should sue them at the World Court, and protect itself and then by means of the World Court proceedings, force negotiations which Iran can do...," he noted.

Boyle said "...if the crisis escalates certainly it would be my advice that Iran follow this lawsuit against these three states (US, UK, and France), ask for the emergency hearing of the court, win these three orders, and try to use those orders to prevent a war."

"The restraining order would be to prevent a military attack on Iran, to prevent any type of blockade of Iran...to prevent the imposition of further economic sanctions by these three states against Iran, and also their pursuit of more sanctions against Iran at the United Nations Security Council."

He referred to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s failure to detect any sort of diversion in Iran's nuclear energy program towards military purposes.

"So if the US government is not prepared to engage in reasonable, direct, unconditional, good faith negotiations with Iran, then my advice is that the Iranian government go forward with this lawsuit."

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies, accuse Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program. Washington and Tel Aviv have time and again threatened Tehran with the "option" of a military strike against its civilian nuclear facilities.

Iran argues that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the IAEA, it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.