DFLP warns ICC prosecutor of 'equating executioner and victim'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 Dec 2023 00:35

The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine warns the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan against the politicization of the court's investigation in favor of "Israel".

Public Prosecutor Karim Khan prepares for the trial of Mahamat Said Abdel Kani at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. (AP)

The Legal Department of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) issued a statement describing the visit of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to "Israel", in a new statement, as "biased" and slamming the prosecutor as being "biased toward Israel since taking office."

This comes after Karim Khan paid a visit to "Israel" at the occupation authorities' invitation.

Following his visit, Khan urged the occupation, in a video, on Sunday, to respect international rules of war, noting that he was expediting the investigation of "unacceptable" Israeli occupation settlers' violence against Palestinians in occupied Palestine.

Stressing that the visit "comes against the backdrop of the war in Gaza," and "at the invitation of the families of Israeli detainees and hostages," the DFLP, in a statement, said Khan "has been biased toward Israel since taking office," accusing him of freezing an investigation initially launched by his predecessor, former Public Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

The bias, the statement noted, was "evident" as Khan responded to the Israeli request to visit "Israel" even though the latter is "not a state party to the Rome Statute," all while "ignoring all Palestinian accusations and demands regarding the need to open an investigation."

The DFLP's legal department warned against "equating the executioner and the victim, and politicizing the investigation in favor of Israel," stressing that "it is not possible to compare the Palestinian victims, who have exceeded 20,000 martyrs and 40,000 wounded, with the settlers who live inside settlements in violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions."

Meanwhile, reflecting on the ongoing catastrophic situation in the Strip, Khan said, "In Gaza, there is no justification for doctors to perform operations without light, for children to be operated upon without anesthetics. Imagine the pain," before adding, "I was crystal clear, that this is the time to comply with the law. If Israel doesn't comply now, they shouldn't complain later."

Some brief reflections yesterday before departing Ramallah at the end of the first mission by a Prosecutor of the ICC to Israel or the State of Palestine. Too many have died, too many are being injured & too many suffering trauma & heartbreak. It’s time to respect the law if we… https://t.co/XWrf4m0gcQ
— Karim A. A. Khan KC (@KarimKhanQC) December 3, 2023

According to Khan, "Civilians must have access to basic food, water, and desperately needed medical supplies, without further delay, and at pace and at scale."

Moreover, Khan claimed that what Hamas did on October 7 could be considered among "the most serious international crimes that shock the conscience of humanity," without making any reference to the occupation of Palestine, the dehumanization of the Palestinian people, and the theft of their property and rights.

Khan, however, stressed that this would not excuse settler violence against Palestinians, saying, "No Israeli settler armed with an ideology and a gun can think it's open season against Palestinians."

It is worth noting that "Israel" is not a member of the Hague-based court and does not recognize its jurisdiction.