According to a statement, the prosecutor’s department “has engaged in dialogue with the Government of Venezuela at the highest level” on the issue / Photo: UNIR
The office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) warned on Monday that it is “actively monitoring” the current situation in Venezuela, a country that has already been the focus of an investigation into crimes against humanity since 2021, and stressed that it is “independently evaluating” reports of possible crimes following the presidential elections.
In a note distributed to journalists in The Hague, the seat of the ICC, Karim Khan’s office said that as a general practice it “does not issue public statements” regarding ongoing developments, and warned that it “is actively monitoring current events” and has received “multiple reports of cases of violence and other allegations following the presidential elections of 28 July.”
The official result of the elections confirmed Nicolás Maduro’s victory and triggered a wave of criticism inside and outside Venezuela.
“The Office (of the Prosecutor) is independently assessing all these reports and other available information within the scope of its mandate and jurisdiction. The Office has previously successfully asserted its right to continue investigations in relation to the situation in Venezuela,” Khan said, urging that “relevant information be shared promptly” through the Prosecutor’s website https://otplink.icc-cpi.int/.
In this regard, he stressed that “if any individual or organization has information that may be relevant to this ongoing investigation, we invite them to send it through OTP Link,” and promised that it will be reviewed and analyzed by the prosecutor’s staff dedicated to the situation in Venezuela.
Khan also said his department has “engaged in dialogue with the Government of Venezuela at the highest level to underscore the importance of ensuring that the rule of law is respected at this time and to emphasize that all persons must be protected from violations that may constitute crimes under the Rome Statute,” the ICC’s founding treaty, which includes war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The Office of the Prosecutor concluded its reaction to the situation in Venezuela by assuring that it “will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground with the aim of addressing the current situation in the most effective manner in accordance with its mandate.”
On March 1, the ICC Appeals Chamber rejected the grounds for appeal against the investigation – open since November 2021 – presented by the Maduro government, which had assured that “crimes against humanity” have “never occurred” in Venezuela, but rather “a handful of incidents” that Venezuela is already investigating in national courts, and does not need international justice to do so.
The Hague / EFE
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2024-08-16 05:39:27
