30 April 2025
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has been barred from publicizing any new applications for arrest warrants in the court’s Palestine case, the Guardian reported on Monday.
ICC judges issued the order “behind closed doors this month” as Khan prepares for “a fresh round of applications for Israeli suspects” in connection with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories, the paper reported, citing sources familiar with the situation.
Khan secured warrants of arrest for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November last year.
The paper also cited sources as saying that Khan’s decision to publicize the first round of arrest warrants in the case “was opposed by some of Khan’s senior staff,” claiming that it placed the judges overseeing the case under “unprecedented public pressure.”
West Bank Crimes
Court sources told the paper that they expected the new round of warrants to focus on alleged crimes in the occupied West Bank.
The report noted that the process for applying for ICC arrest warrants “often occurs in closed proceedings” with the aim of possibly protecting“the integrity of investigations” as well as to “ensure the safety of witnesses and victims, and improve the chances of locating and apprehending suspects.”
However, the report added, the prosecutor “has significant autonomy and is able to publicize arrest warrant applications if, for example, it could have a deterrent effect on continuing alleged crimes and does not hinder arrest opportunities.”
It said Khan’s predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, “revealed the existence of an arrest warrant only after it was approved by judges.”
Source: Palestinechronicle
