1/ This was @StateDept’s position in January on #annesacoolas “If the US were to grant the UK’s extradition request, it would render the invocation of diplomatic immunity a practical nullity and would set an extraordinarily troubling precedent.” That is a palpable absurdity
2/ Translated: “We never waive diplomatic immunity when our people break local laws and we are frightened that if we do so now we’ll have to do it every time in the future.
3/ Every single right minded rules based country in the world including 🇬🇧 waives immunity in these circumstances without hesitation. Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations provides for this and indeed encourages this practice.
4/ Diplomatic Immunity is there to protect diplomatic missions, not to give diplomats an escape route when they kill people in road traffic collisions. In denying #harrydunn’s family justice here, the 🇺🇸 are not following international norms or conventions.
5/ They did a good thing yesterday in making sure this will never happen again. They now need to do the right thing and extradite Mrs Sacoolas.
6/ Reminder however that it is the parents’ case that she did not have diplomatic immunity, backed by the Crown Prosecution Service, and whether she did or not will be decided by the senior courts in London in November.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
