Cyprus was on Friday one in every of 79 United Nations member states to signal a joint assertion expressing their help for the Worldwide Felony Courtroom (ICC).
The assertion was issued the day after United States President Donald Trump signed an government order imposing sanctions on the courtroom over investigations it had launched into the State of Israel.
The courtroom had in November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged battle crimes of their army offensive in Gaza which started in October 2023, which killed tens of 1000’s of Palestinian folks.
Trump’s government order accused the ICC of partaking in “illegitimate and baseless actions focusing on America and our shut ally Israel” and of abusing its energy by issuing “baseless arrest warrants” towards each Netanyahu and Gallant.
The order provides that the ICC has “no jurisdiction over the US or Israel”, and that the arrest warrant had set a “harmful precedent”.
It additionally added that the US will impose “tangible and important penalties” on these answerable for “transgressions” dedicated by the ICC, with potential penalties together with the blocking of property and property, and the denial of entry into the US for ICC officers, workers, and their households.
In response, the 79 UN member states mentioned they “reaffirm our continued and unwavering help for the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the ICC”.
“The courtroom serves as an important pillar of the worldwide justice system by making certain accountability for essentially the most critical worldwide crimes, and justice for victims. In the present day, the Courtroom is dealing with unprecedented challenges.
“Measures sanctioning the courtroom, its officers and employees, and people cooperating with it [have been] adopted in response to the Courtroom finishing up its mandate,” the assertion learn.
It added that such measures “improve the chance of impunity for essentially the most critical crimes and threaten to erode the worldwide rule of legislation, which is essential for selling international order and safety”.
“Sanctions would severely undermine all conditions at present beneath investigation because the courtroom might have to shut its subject places of work. Advancing the ICC’s important work serves our widespread curiosity in selling accountability,” it mentioned.
“As sturdy supporters of the ICC, we remorse any makes an attempt to undermine the courtroom’s independence, integrity and impartiality. We’re dedicated to making sure the ICC’s enterprise continuity in order that the courtroom can proceed to hold out its capabilities successfully and independently.”
When the arrest warrants have been issued in November, a Cypriot authorities supply instructed Reuters that the federal government considers arrest warrants issued by the ICC as binding in precept.
