ICC Chief Warned Not to Issue Arrest Warrant Against Netanyahu
CrossFireArabia- September 7, 2024
Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), revealed he faced significant pressure from world leaders not to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In an interview with the BBC, Khan stated “several leaders and others told me, advised me, and cautioned me” against pursuing the warrants, underscoring the political tensions surrounding the court’s actions.
Despite the external pressure, Khan defended the ICC’s decision to seek warrants against Netanyahu, emphasizing that justice must be applied equally to all nations. He noted the importance of demonstrating that the court upholds common legal standards in addressing war crimes according to the Quds News Network.
Khan had previously announced that the ICC was seeking arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare, murder, targeting civilians, and extermination.
The prosecutor also welcomed the UK government’s recent decision to drop its opposition to the arrest warrants. In July, the British government reversed its stance, allowing the ICC to move forward with its pursuit of charges against the Israeli leaders.
Khan acknowledged that the arrest warrants remain confidential and that world leaders were speculating on the evidence presented. However, he stressed that the ICC would remain focused on ensuring that justice is seen to be done, despite the challenges and pressures from the international community.
Meanwhile and in an interview with Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun last week, Karim Khan revealed that ICC officials were receiving personal “threats” from supporters of both Russia and Israel. Khan cautioned, “If we allow these types of attacks … threats … to dismantle or erode the legal institutions that have been built since the Second World War, does anybody believe it will end with the International Criminal Court?”
