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Copenhagen City Council cancels its contract with security company G4S citing its links to Israeli settlements on the West Bank. But the company will continue to service systems at the University of Copenhagen. And G4S is doing nothing illegal, concludes law professor
Security company G4S is indirectly abetting the use of torture and the upholding of illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank, as it supplies equipment to Israeli checkpoints and prisons, as well as guards to settlements.
This is the reason given for a Copenhagen City Council decision to cancel all contracts with G4S.
»We are responsible for how we use the community’s money. And we are not upholding that responsibility if permit the use of services from companies that are active on the West Bank,« says social services mayor at the Copenhagen City Council Mikkel Warming to the tv station TV2 Lorry.
A University of Copenhagen law professor, Hjalte Rasmussen, has looked into the case, and he concludes that G4S neither violates international conventions, nor Danish legislation. But this conclusion will not change the City of Copenhagen’s decision.
In the meantime the University of Copenhagen will continue its service agreement on G4S’ own security access systems to campuses
»The University of Copenhagen constantly evaluates whether it would be a profitable solution to have the University owning and servicing its own equipment,« University of Copenhagen director Jørgen Honorè recently clarified to the University Post.
He added that »the co-operation between the University of Copenhagen and G4S is limited, and we don’t intend to do anything more«.
The University of Copenhagen decision has not satisfied the lobby group Responsible University which condemns the co-operation between the university and G4S.
»G4S should get out of the West Bank or get out of our university. Until G4S stops contributing to Israel’s breach of international law, we demand that the University of Copenhagen stops all its co-operation with them,« the group writes in a comment to the Danish section Universitetsavisen.
Read: Israel-linked firm to continue service of systems
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