UK to comply with legal obligations related to ICC
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Britain signed the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, in 1998 and ratified it in 2001. Officials state that the statute has not been invoked yet, as no ICC-accused individuals have visited the UK.
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Keir Starmer delivers his keynote speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, England on October 10, 2023. (AP)
On Friday, the British government stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be detained on an International Criminal Court arrest order if he travels to the United Kingdom.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued on Thursday arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of "crimes against humanity and war crimes."
This marked a significant escalation in legal actions concerning the war on Gaza, obliging the ICC’s 124 member states to detain Netanyahu and Gallant should they enter their territory.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson refused to comment on whether UK police would hold Netanyahu, saying he would not "get into hypotheticals in relation to individual cases."
He did say the UK would "always comply with its legal obligations as set out by domestic law and indeed international law."
Britain signed the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the ICC, in 1998 and ratified it three years later. Officials claim the statute has not yet been utilized since no one accused by the ICC has ever visited Britain.
It is unclear if the UK court procedure begins once the ICC orders the arrest or after the indicted individual arrives on British territory.
"We would obviously fulfill our obligations under the act," said Starmer's spokesperson.
China calls for ICC objectivity after Netanyahu arrest warrant
China urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday to maintain an objective and fair stance after it issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"China hopes the ICC will uphold an objective and just position (and) exercise its powers in accordance with the law," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a regular press conference in response to questions about the warrant for Netanyahu.
Netanyahu condemned the move as "anti-Semitic," labeling the court's accusations as "absurd and false."
China, which, like "Israel" and the United States, is not a member of the ICC, expressed support for any international efforts on the Palestinian issue that aim to achieve fairness, and justice, and uphold the authority of international law.
Lin also accused the United States of "double standards" after questions arose about its opposition to the ICC's pursuit of Netanyahu while supporting a warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"China consistently opposes certain countries using international law only when it suits them... and engaging in double standards," Lin said.
While the US has done everything in its power to undermine the ICC, going as far as proposing sanctions on the court, other nations like Spain, Austria, Sweden, Canada, Italy, Ireland, and the Netherlands have expressed their support for such measures.
