Harry Dunn family calls on UN to review ‘outdated’ diplomatic immunity rules
Family of teenage motorcyclist killed in crash seeks changes to rules on the protection of diplomats and their families
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Your support makes all the difference.Harry Dunn’s family has written to the UN secretary-general asking him to review diplomatic immunity conventions, which it claims are “confusing” and “abused frequently”.
In a letter sent to Antonio Guterres, the 19-year-old motorcyclist’s parents describe the conventions, which date back to 1961, as “outdated”. These regulations have allowed Anne Sacoolas, who allegedly caused Dunn’s death in August last year, to claim diplomatic immunity and resist extradition from the US.
Speaking about the current regulations, Dunn’s parents added: “They are confusing and are abused frequently, as here by the US administration. Diplomatic immunity is of course not a get out of jail free card.”
They have requested a meeting with either Mr Guterres or one of his senior aides to discuss their concerns – while accepting that keeping “real diplomats safe in hot spot countries” is the original reason for the provision of diplomatic immunity.
This comes after the US State Department called the UK’s request to extradite Ms Sacoolas “highly inappropriate”.
Ms Sacoolas, 42, whose husband is a US diplomat, claimed diplomatic immunity after Dunn died following a collision between his motorbike and a car near RAF Croughton on 27 August last year.
However, lawyers acting for Dunn’s family say Ms Sacoolas is not a diplomat and should not be protected by diplomatic immunity.
On Saturday, a video was reported to police showing a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road near RAF Croughton, with a collision between that vehicle and another only narrowly avoided.
Following the release of the video, Boris Johnson said he would bring up the “driving habits” of US personnel at the military base. Last week, he was criticised by Dunn’s parents for having “no wish or intention” to meet with them.
In a statement, Northamptonshire Chief Constable Nick Adderley said: “I do not underestimate how much of a concerning incident this was and how much worse it could have been, especially considering the circumstances in which 19-year-old Harry Dunn tragically died.”
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