Renowned peace campaigner Angie Zelter tells TFN why she's taking Theresa May to court over Trident
I am attempting to take the government to court for maintaining and deploying nuclear weapons of 100 kilotons and over, along with plans to use them on cities.
Such use would actually be a war crime (if used in a time of war) or mass murder (if used at any other time) and we have UK and International Humanitarian Laws that make this clear.
These laws are meant to prevent genocide, prevent attacks on civilians and public infrastructure, protect children, respect neutral countries, and protect the environment.
Obviously any use of nuclear weapons would breach all of these legal protections that have taken many decades and in some cases, hundreds of years to build up.
I am horrified and ashamed that my prime minister can admit a willingness to kill hundreds of thousands of people
Angie Zelter
Nevertheless, the UK government continues to modernise and deploy such nuclear weapons by hiding behind the theory of nuclear deterrence and pretending that these weapons would never be used, as if that makes it excusable.
However, when actually asked point blank on 18 July this year if she would personally be prepared to authorise a nuclear strike that could kill 100,000 men, women and children, our prime minister, Teresa May, said “Yes, the whole point of a deterrent is that our enemies need to know that we would be prepared to use it”.
She was being brutally honest and I am left feeling horrified and ashamed that my prime minister can admit a willingness to kill hundreds of thousands of people.
I believe that such convictions not only undermine our humanity but also our security and encourage terrorism. A government that legitimises mass murder signals that there is nothing inherently wrong in contemplating violence and murder as it's just a question of context.
In the past such attempts to bring this issue before the courts have been prevented by the use of the royal prerogative that prevents issues of defence being heard.
Our argument is that such a prerogative can never be used to prevent citizens from ensuring that their armed forces act within the law.
As a responsible global citizen I cannot just sit back and do nothing. It is time that the courts impartially examine the evidence and make an unbiased non-political, non-ideological judgement on the UK's nuclear arsenal and 'deterrence' policies.
This is why I have joined with other UK citizens in an attempt to take out a private prosecution against the prime minister and the defence minister for conspiring to commit a war crime, which is what Trident is.
Angie Zelter is an activist and a founder of Trident Ploughshares.
