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The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil,    but because of the people who don't do anything about it

Occupation magazine - Activism Home page  back Print  Send To friend ICC Prosecutor statement: Fears over justice for Gaza victims AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE 3 April 2012 ICC Prosecutor statement: Fears over justice for Gaza victims A dangerous statement by the office of International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor that it cannot consider allegations of crimes committed during the 2008-9 Gaza conflict means Palestinian and Israeli victims seem likely to be denied justice, Amnesty International said. The Office of the Prosecutor today said that it cannot consider allegations of crimes committed during the conflict unless the relevant UN bodies or ICC states parties determine that the Palestinian Authority is a state. `This dangerous decision opens the ICC to accusations of political bias and is inconsistent with the independence of the ICC. It also breaches the Rome Statute which clearly states that such matters should be considered by the institution`s judges,` said Marek Marczyñski, Head of Amnesty International`s International Justice campaign. `For the past three years, the prosecutor has been considering the question of whether the Palestinian Authority is a `state` that comes under the jurisdiction of the ICC and whether the ICC can investigate crimes committed during the 2008-9 conflict in Gaza and southern Israel.` `Now, despite Amnesty International`s calls and a very clear requirement in the ICC`s statute that the judges should decide on such matters, the Prosecutor has erroneously dodged the question, passing it to other political bodies.` `Amnesty International once again calls on the Prosecutor to follow the procedures established by the Rome Statute by passing the matter to the judges, rather than frustrating efforts to bring justice to Palestinian and Israeli victims of the Gaza conflict.` Public Document **************************************** For more information please call Amnesty International`s press office in London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566, email press@amnesty.org  or follow us on Twitter @amnestypress International Secretariat, Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW, UK www.amnesty.org ------------------------------------- East Mediterranean Team Amnesty International, International Secretariat Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW United Kingdom E-mail: Eastmed@amnesty.org Tel: +44 (0)20 7413 5500 Fax: +44 (0)20 7413 5719 Links to the latest articles in this section Refusing the war! Demonstration today, Thur. Apris 24, at 7.30 pm, Habima Square, Tel Aviv Refusing the war! Demonstration today, Thur. Apris 24, at 7.30 pm, Habima Square, Tel Aviv Saturday night protests: No to Netanyahu`s war!