The Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) warned on Friday that it will not be “intimidated by threats or measures” against the court over the investigation it is developing into the situation in Palestine, including the Gaza Strip called on all countries to “respect the independence and impartiality” of the institution.
“The Court has the fundamental mandate to hold perpetrators of crimes accountable and provide justice to all victims equally,” the Assembly said in a statement. The Assembly of States Parties is a legislative and supervisory body composed of representatives of all countries that have ratified the Rome Statute, the Court's founding treaty, except Israel and the United States.
The ICC has expressed its “concern” over the statements and threats made in response to the alleged arrest warrants against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In recent weeks, the Israeli press has reported that the ICC is preparing arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials for their role in the war in Gaza, rumors that have not yet been confirmed by the court or the Attorney General, Karim Khan. There have also been warnings from the United States, Tel Aviv's main ally, of retaliation if the ICC takes action against Israeli leaders.
Khan had already called in early May for “all attempts to obstruct, intimidate or improperly influence officials [de la CPI] cease immediately” and assured that threatening the court “could constitute a crime against the administration of justice under Article 70 of the Rome Statute.”
The Assembly recalled on Friday that the Statute is the result of “exhaustive, transparent and inclusive” negotiations in which all countries participated, and “represents an international commitment to end impunity for the most serious international crimes that threaten peace , threaten the security and well-being of the world. world.
The Court located in The Hague (Netherlands) has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression, and has a total of 124 members. The ICC has been investigating allegations of war crimes allegedly committed by the Israeli army and all Palestinian militias in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2014, including the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent Israeli offensive.
“Ensuring the integrity of the Court, including its judicial and prosecutorial independence, is fundamental to the successful fulfillment of its mandate. “We emphasize the importance of the International Criminal Court as an independent and impartial tribunal,” the Assembly concluded.