Ghana’s former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has described as cruel and inhumane the killing of an Italian pro-Palestinian human rights activist by a radical group.
President Rawlings said: “Some parts of the world are beginning to stir and taking on the abuse and impunity of power. To capture a man of such calibre and execute him in such a barbaric manner is no different from the very abuse they are fighting against.
“This action will sour the Palestinian cause. It is a primitive action and no one can fight a genuine cause by resorting to such methods – killing people who dedicate their lives to securing the human rights of others.
“The world extends a hand of warmth to the family, friends, colleagues and all sympathisers who are mourning the death of Vittorio and many others who lived fighting the cause of the defenceless,” the former President said.
Vittorio Arrigoni, a member of International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which is committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land through peaceful means, entered Gaza several years ago in pursuit of the ISM’s objectives.
Friends and colleagues have described the deceased as a “generous soul” and a “dynamic, humanitarian personality”. His death has received strong condemnation from the Italian government and the international community.