As many of you know, multiple petitions have by now been brought by lawyers, NGOs, politicians and States urging the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel’s apartheid regime and, as of late, its ongoing genocide in Gaza and issue arrest warrants for the Israeli officials responsible.
Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the ICC, who has complete discretion when it comes to the opening and handling of investigations, has ignored all such petitions instead exhibiting highly questionable behavior (in particular since October 7) which evidences a lack of impartiality and a clear bias in favor of the perpetrator of the genocide in Gaza.
Legal scholars have penned a response in relation to Mr. Khan’s mishandling of the case on Palestine laying out specific incidents of his misconduct triggering “grave concern over the integrity of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP)”, and prompting “urgent concerns about its adherence to impartiality and non-discrimination”. The ever growing list of scholars and practitioners of law, international relations, and politics conclude that as a result of Mr. Khan’s “alarming” approach “accountability for grave breaches that constitute international crimes committed in Palestine is unforeseeable” calling on the Assembly of State Parties to “investigate the conduct of the current prosecutor of the international criminal court, Karim Khan” as well as the “Prosecutor’s Office” (in particular as it concerns the adherence of the Prosecutor’s Office to ICSC Standards of Conduct, notably in relation to impartiality, and non-discrimination) and “take appropriate measures in accordance with the mandate of the Assembly derived from Article 112 of the Rome Statute.”
The Assembly of State Parties has the power to remove Mr. Khan from his role as Prosecutor. I hope they do so, fast.
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