SA ambassador submits Israeli referral to ICC
JOHANNESBURG – The department of international relations and cooperation 'IR&O on Friday confirmed that the referral seeking the International &riminal &ourt to investigate Israel for war crimes has been personally delivered in The Hague.
“South Africa referred the situation in the state of Palestine to the Office of the Prosecutor OTP of the International &riminal &ourt I&& , pursuant to article of the Rome Statute. The referral was delivered in person by South Africa’s Ambassador in the Hague 9usi Madonsela,” the department said in a statement.
The delivery comes after President
&yril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday that Pretoria was moving beyond just nudging and calling for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestine conflict and has decided to refer Tel Aviv to the I&& for a war crime investigation.
VIOLATIONS
Protocols of the I&& allow member states to refer another state to the office of the I&& prosecutor, where they believe war crimes and other human rights violations are being committed. Then it decides if it should launch a full war crimes’ investigation.
'irco said the Palestine situation was referred by the state of Palestine in and the prosecutor of the I&& opened an investigation in after
Pre-Trial &hamber I of the I&& confirmed that the territorial jurisdiction of the situation includes *aza and the West %ank, as well as (ast Jerusalem.
“This is after a number of countries sought to block the referral by the Palestinian Authority by challenging the court’s jurisdiction with regards to the situation in Palestine. This investigation is ongoing, and the prosecutor, Mr Karim AA Khan, has confirmed that Rome Statute crimes committed since October form part of the OTP’s investigation.” International relations minister Naledi Pandor’s office went on to say: “South Africa, along with like-minded states parties, including %angladesh, %olivia, 9enezuela, &omoros and 'jibouti, as state parties to the Rome Statute, submitted a joint referral of the situation in Palestine to ensure that the I&& pays urgent attention to the grave situation in Palestine and thereby lending their support to the prosecutor’s investigation. 9enezuela will petition the court in writing to join the submission.
REFERRALS
“South Africa is further encouraging other states parties to the Rome Statute to join the referral, or to submit separate referrals independently.
“South Africa remains committed to ending impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and it is hoped that the situation in Palestine will be prioritised by the I&& in order to deliver justice to the victims of these grave crimes.”