ICC chief prosecutor: Palestinians deserve justice, and we should not wait until everyone is dead
In an interview with German weekly Der Spiegel, Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), raised concerns about the unequal application of international law to Palestinians, stressing that the law must be applied equally to all, no matter the region.
These comments come after Khan’s request to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on charges including “war crimes,” “crimes against humanity,” and “genocide.”
Khan stressed that Israeli officials are “not above international law,” rejecting accusations of “antisemitism” directed at him, and clarifying that the goal is to achieve justice for all victims.
In response to suggestions of delaying investigations, Khan firmly asked: “Should I wait until everybody’s dead?”.
“If your father, your mother, your grandfather was a hostage, would you really want me to wait? If this was your child or your sister blown to bits, would you want me to wait?” he said, stressing the importance of immediate legal intervention in ongoing conflicts.
Khan also pointed out that most of the countries that are members of the court, except for Canada, recognize Palestine as a state.
He further stated that the court has been subjected to continuous pressure and threats to prevent it from completing its investigations, adding, “We must not succumb to intimidation, this is about the independence of the law.”
Khan’s comments come in the context of the ongoing assault on Gaza, where the United States has backed Israel’s military actions since October 7, 2023. This has led to nearly 146,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, the majority being women and children, along with extensive destruction and a severe famine in the Gaza Strip.
At the end of the interview, which was reported by Anadolu, Khan reiterated that justice must apply to everyone, noting that justice cannot be fragmented and requires the independent and fair application of the law.
@E.Y.M