Legal experts have expressed concerns that Israel’s efforts to undermine and influence the International Criminal Court (ICC) could constitute “offences against the administration of justice,” specifically under Article 70 of the ICC’s founding statute.
These concerns arise from revelations about Israeli surveillance, espionage, and intimidation tactics aimed at ICC officials and personnel.
Toby Cadman, a British barrister specializing in international criminal and humanitarian law, described the allegations as deeply disturbing and constituting an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
“It is quite clear that these are matters that fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC, in particular under article 70 of the statute. Any person who has attempted to obstruct the independent investigations of the prosecutor must face the consequences.” Cadman said.
Other experts, including Matt Cannock from Amnesty International and Mark Kersten from the University of the Fraser Valley, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the potential for these actions to fall under Article 70 offenses.
“It is abundantly clear that many of the examples highlighted in the reporting would amount to [article 70 offences]. Such charges should be brought against anyone who has sought to impede, intimidate or corruptly influence the ICC’s officials.”
Matt Cannock, Amnesty International.
Kersten stated, “It is hard to imagine what could be a more blatant attempt to wrongfully interfere in a prosecutorial process.”
The ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, has announced his intention to seek arrest warrants for war crimes and crimes against humanity against both Hamas and Israeli leaders, marking a significant escalation in the court’s involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This decision has sparked controversy, particularly among Western allies of Israel, with the US, UK, and Germany opposing Khan’s move.
ICC’s 124 Member States Urged To Support The Court
Despite this opposition, the ICC’s 124 member states were urged to support the court and uphold international justice, as emphasized by Danya Chaikel from the International Federation for Human Rights.
Chaikel said, “These allegations should be a wake-up call for the state parties to what’s at stake. They need to rally together and support the court that they built.”
“To maintain the international justice system, it needs to be protected from threats, especially egregious threats against those given the huge responsibility of working for all of us to prosecute the worst crimes known to humanity.”
Danya Chaikel, A Barrister
A senior Palestinian official, who asked not to be named in order to speak freely, said, “Tactics that have been used against Palestinians living under occupation have now been used against international officials from some of the world’s most important institutions. This investigation shows that Israel’s belief in its impunity now goes beyond Palestine’s borders.”
He added, “The international community now has two options. Either change course and protect international law and international institutions, or destroy the rules-based order for the sake of defending Israel.”
The situation has also seen accusations from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the ICC is biased and selectively targeting certain individuals or regions, a sentiment shared by some critics of the ICC.
However, proponents argue that the ICC’s mission is to ensure impartial justice for serious crimes of international concern, regardless of the political or geographical affiliations of the accused.
The international community faces a critical juncture in deciding whether to support the ICC’s efforts to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, or to align with those criticizing the court for perceived biases or selective justice.
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