UPDATE 1-UN rights forum names team to probe Israel ship raid

Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:26pm GMT

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* Fact-finding team of three independent experts named

* Experts expected to visit Israel, Turkey, Gaza in August

* Due to present report to U.N. Human Rights Council in Sept

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, July 23 (Reuters) - The United Nations Human Rights Council appointed a team of international experts on Friday to investigate Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and called on all parties to cooperate.

The fact-finding team comprises three independent experts -- Sir Desmond de Silva (Britain), Karl Hudson-Phillips (Trinidad and Tobago) and Mary Shanthi Dairiam (Malaysia), a U.N. statement said.

The 47-country Council voted to set up the independent inquiry on June 2 to look into what it called violations of international law in Israel's commando attack in May in which nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists were killed.

"The expertise, independence and impartiality of the members of the mission will be devoted to clarifying the events which took place that day and their legality," said Thailand's ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkeow, current Council president. Continued...

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