Iran to join South Africa in ICJ against 'Israel' as third party
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Moments after South Africa filed a lawsuit against "Israel", Iran swiftly formed a commission and plans to present its case as a third party at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
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Protesters shout slogans outside the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024 (AP)
On Wednesday, Mohammad Dehghan, Iran's Vice-President for Legal Affairs, announced that Iran is in the process of preparing documentation to engage as a third party in the proceedings initiated by South Africa against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
In response to the high civilian death toll in the Gaza Strip, on December 29, South Africa has filed a genocide case against "Israel" at the ICJ. The claim asserts that "Israel's" military campaign specifically targets Palestinians as a national, racial, and ethnic group.
"As soon as South Africa filed the lawsuit, we formed a commission ... and will soon bring our case to the ICJ as a third party. South Africa's case was initiated based on the 1948 Genocide Convention. Taking into account its Article 9, Iran has not filed a suit on its own as it would have meant recognizing Israel as a state," Dehghan was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.
Read more: Humanity vs. 'Israel'; an illegal occupation tried legally
Other countries that have offered to back South Africa's case against "Israel" include Cuba, Bangladesh, the world's largest Islamic institution located in Iraq Al-Azhar, the Maldives, Pakistan and Namibia.
On a similar note, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to the South African legal team in recognition of their lawsuit against "Israel".
South Africa to sue US, UK for complicity in Gaza genocide
In the latest string of developments, nearly 50 South African lawyers, led by attorney Wikus Van Rensburg, are gearing up to file a lawsuit against the United States and the United Kingdom, asserting their complicity in Israeli forces' war crimes in Palestine, Anadolu Agency reported on Monday.
Rensburg, the driving force behind the legal action, aims to prosecute those complicit in the crimes through civilian courts, collaborating with legal professionals in the US and UK.
In an interview with Anadolu, Rensburg emphasized the need to hold the US accountable for its actions and highlighted the forthcoming legal proceedings against Washington and London.
"The United States must now be held accountable for the crimes it committed," Rensburg stated. "No one says stop, enough is enough."
He referenced the lack of accountability for the US' crimes in Iraq and underscored the importance of giving due significance to such issues.
"What happened in Iraq is an example of this; no one held the US accountable for the crimes it committed in the Middle Eastern country as the issue was not given the necessary importance," he noted.
Read more: EU members free to choose stances on S.Africa's case against 'Israel'
