Palestinian Foreign Minister meets ICC chief prosecutor
Riyad al-Maliki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, met on Thursday the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court(ICC) Fatou Bensouda in The Hague, as part of ongoing collaboration with the Court regarding the opening of a formal probe into the Situation in Palestine.
#ICC Prosecutor receives H.E. Riyad al-Maliki, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates of Palestine & his delegation at the Seat of the International Criminal Court. Read the Prosecutor's statement of 3 March 2021 ➡️https://t.co/G5Q5hvesJZ #justicematters pic.twitter.com/XXemVbMjI9
— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) March 18, 2021
During the meeting, al-Maliki expressed Palestine’s support for the work of the ICC, the Prosecutor and the Court’s staff in facing any threats to them and the Palestinian leadership for their pursuit of international justice.
Al-Maliki also stressed the importance of accelerating investigations into crimes committed in the land of the State of Palestine, ensuring justice for the Palestinian victims and their families, especially in light of Israel’s ongoing abuses of the human rights of the Palestinian people.
He stressed at the same time on the importance for states to uphold their responsibilities in protecting the integrity and independence of the Court and providing all necessary means to ensure the exercise of its mandated tasks in accordance with the Rome Statute.
The Foreign Minister affirmed that the State of Palestine will cooperate with the Court and its staff in order to end the era of impunity and begin a new path of accountability.
Following his meeting with the ICC chief prosecutor, al-Maliki met with Peter Lewis, the Registrar of the International Criminal Court, and discussed with him the ICC’s opening of a criminal investigation into the Situation in Palestine.
During the meeting, Al-Maliki expressed his desire to review the plans of the Court’s record regarding the relationship with Palestine at this important stage of the criminal investigation into the Situation in Palestine.
“The Palestinian people and its leadership are eagerly looking forward to the efforts of the International Criminal Court to fulfill the duties entrusted to it under the Rome Statute, to protect the interests of the victims and prevent impunity,” said the Foreign Minister.
