Nicaragua shuts embassy in Germany amid ICJ case for abetting genocide
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Nicaragua says the embassy in Austria will now handle its consular tasks and official businesses after having announced the accreditation of its ambassador in Vienna as a concurrent representative in Germany.
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Nicaragua's Ambassador Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, center, waits for the start of a two-day hearing at the ICJ in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP)
After dragging Germany to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for facilitating "Israel’s" genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Nicaragua has closed its embassy in the West European country.
Nicaragua announced the decision on Wednesday, stating that the embassy in Austria will now handle its consular tasks and official businesses after having announced the accreditation of its ambassador in Vienna, Sabra Amari Murillo Centeno, as a concurrent representative in Germany.
Earlier this week, during hearings at the ICJ, Nicaragua stated that Germany is violating the 1948 Genocide Convention by aiding "Israel" militarily and financially, in addition to suspending funding to UNRWA.
Nicaragua asserted that Germany's arms transfers to "Israel" gave reason to make it complicit in the war crimes, as it asked the ICJ to issue emergency orders against it.
In opening statements, the Nicaraguan Ambassador to the Netherlands Carlos Jose Francisco Arguello commented, “There can be no question that Germany . . . was well aware, and is well aware, of at least the serious risk of genocide being committed,” adding, “Germany is failing to honor its own obligation to prevent genocide or to ensure respect of international humanitarian law.”
On Monday, Nicaragua appealed to the International Court of Justice to demand that #Germany cease its military arms exports to "Israel" and resume its funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency, #UNRWA.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 8, 2024
The country's agent ambassador, Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, representing… pic.twitter.com/sVrmVwa6Tu
Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas expressed its appreciation on Monday for the lawsuit as the war on Gaza enters its seventh month.
In a statement issued on Monday, the movement called on the countries of the world "to follow the lead of Nicaragua, South Africa, and other countries that have refused to turn a blind eye to the crime committed by the Zionist occupation entity in Gaza, with clear support from Western governments."
Hamas also called on the ICJ to issue "firm decisions that would lead to the cessation of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, despite its previous decisions, which the Zionist enemy has disregarded, like all international decisions, agreements, and laws."
In response, Berlin considers Nicaragua's lawsuit against Germany with the ICJ accusing it of complicity in genocide in Gaza "unjustified" and rejects the accusation, German cabinet spokesperson Wolfgang Buechner said on Monday.
On March 1, Nicaragua accused Germany of enabling genocide in Gaza in a lawsuit brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) by supporting "Israel" and blocking funds for the UN Palestinian refugee agency.
"By sending military equipment and now defunding UNRWA (UN agency for Palestinian refugees)... Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide," it said in its submission.
"Germany is facilitating the commission of genocide and, in any case, has failed in its obligation to do everything possible to prevent the commission of genocide," Nicaragua asserted in a petition issued by the court in The Hague.
"Germany's failure is all the more reprehensible with respect to Israel given that Germany has a self-proclaimed privileged relationship with it, which would enable it to usefully influence its conduct," Nicaragua said.
