The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that it has requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and three leaders of Hamas for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Here are some facts about the ICC:
- The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. It can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of member states or by other parties on the territories of member states. The court has 124 member states and a budget of approximately 187 million euros for 2024.
- The ICC is conducting 17 investigations, covering countries from Ukraine and African nations like Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Kenya, to Venezuela in Latin America and Asian countries such as Myanmar and the Philippines, according to its website.
- The court indicates that there are currently 31 cases before it, with some cases involving more than one suspect. The judges have issued over 40 arrest warrants.
- There are 21 individuals in the court's detention center who have appeared before it, while 17 individuals are still at large. Charges against seven individuals were dropped due to their deaths. The judges have issued 10 convictions and four acquittals.
- Of the ten convictions, only five relate to core war crimes and crimes against humanity considered by the court, while other convictions pertain to offenses like witness tampering. The five convicted individuals are all leaders of militia groups from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and Uganda. Sentences have ranged from nine years to 30 years in prison, with life imprisonment being the maximum possible sentence.
- A prominent accused is Russian President Vladimir Putin. The court issued a warrant for Putin's arrest in March 2023. The Kremlin called this a meaningless step. Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that its forces committed atrocities during its invasion of its neighbor.
- The court has the support of many members of the United Nations and the European Union; however, other powers like the United States, China, and Russia are not members, claiming that the court may be exploited for politically motivated trials.
- Israel is not a member of the court and does not recognize its jurisdiction, but Palestine became a member state in 2015. In 2021, the ICC opened a formal investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan stated in October of last year that the court has jurisdiction over any war crimes potentially committed by Hamas fighters in Israel or by Israelis in Gaza.
