ICC warns against ‘retaliation threats’
International Criminal Court prosecutors yesterday warned against "individuals who threaten to retaliate" against the tribunal or its staff, saying such actions might constitute an "offence against its administration of justice".
The ICC did not say if the comment related to its investigation into possible war crimes by Israel or Palestinian groups in Gaza and the West Bank.
US media said this week the ICC might issue an arrest warrant for Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and that the latter had urged US President Joe Biden to prevent the court from doing so.
Yesterday, The Hague-based office of ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan said on X that it sought to "engage constructively with all stakeholders whenever dialogue is consistent with its mandate".
"That independence and impartiality are undermined, however, when individuals threaten to retaliate against the court or against court personnel" if it "made decisions" about probes that fell in its mandate, it said.
"Such threats, even not acted upon, may constitute an offence" against the ICC's "administration of justice", it said.
"The Office insists that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence its officials cease immediately."
Khan's office declined to answer questions from AFP as to where the threats of retaliation may have originated from.
It also declined to comment when asked whether it was referring to its investigation into Israel and the offensive in Gaza.
The ICC opened a probe in 2021 into Israel, as well as Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups, over possible war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Comments