THE HAGUE, Thursday, March 18, 2021 (WAFA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad al-Maliki met today with the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda in The Hague, as part of ongoing collaboration with the Court concerning the opening of a probe into the Situation in Palestine.
During the meeting, al-Maliki stressed the importance of accelerating investigations into crimes committed in the land of the State of Palestine, ensuring justice for the Palestinian victims and their families, especially in light of Israel's ongoing abuses of the human rights of the Palestinian people.
He expressed Palestine's support for the work of the ICC, the Prosecutor and the Court's staff in facing any threats to them and the Palestinian leadership for their pursuit of international justice.
Al-Maliki stressed at the same time the importance for states to uphold their responsibilities in protecting the integrity and independence of the Court and providing all necessary means to ensure the exercise of its mandated tasks in accordance with the Rome Statute.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Foreign Minister affirmed that the State of Palestine will cooperate with the Court and its staff in order to end the era of impunity and begin a new path of accountability.
Following his meeting with the ICC chief prosecutor, al-Maliki met with Peter Lewis, the Registrar of the International Criminal Court, and discussed with him the ICC's opening of a criminal investigation into the Situation in Palestine.
During the meeting, Al-Maliki expressed his desire to review the plans of the Court's record regarding the relationship with Palestine at this important stage of the criminal investigation into the Situation in Palestine.
"The Palestinian people and its leadership are eagerly looking forward to the efforts of the International Criminal Court to fulfill the duties entrusted to it under the Rome Statute, to protect the interests of the victims and prevent impunity," said the Foreign Minister.
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