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Iranian presidential aide criticizes ICC for inaction toward Israeli crimes

Sulaiman Umar
16 Nov, 2023
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TEHRAN – The Iranian presidential aide for legal affairs has condemned the International Criminal Court (ICC) for failing to investigate Israeli war crimes for several years, saying the body’s failure to fulfill its duties has allowed Israel to commit more crimes.

“There are numerous legal organizations abroad that are pursuing cases in the International Criminal Court, but unfortunately, the court has not fulfilled its duties,” noted Mohammad Dehghan.

Dehghan said that the ICC decided to sidestep previous cases filed against Israel, pointing out how the Palestinian state gave the court jurisdiction over Israeli crimes committed in 2014, but did not receive any response from the tribunal.

The VP also added how human rights organizations have lost credibility, with some even turning a blind eye to the gross violations of international law by Israel. "The world needs new mechanisms, and the recent crimes have shown that Islamic countries should propose new mechanisms based on their beliefs to address the crimes of the Zionist regime," the official suggested.

Last week, the ICC announced it is carrying out an investigation into war crimes perpetrated by Israel in its relentless onslaught on Gaza since October 7. The move came after several rights groups as well as thousands of protesters around the globe called on the court to take action.

Israel is not a member of the ICC and claims that the body lacks the jurisdiction to investigate the conflict because Palestine is not a sovereign state. Israel’s position has been backed by its traditional allies like the U.S. and Britain. Some Israeli officials have even argued that investigating the regime’s war crimes amounts to anti-Semitism.

With Israel’s repeated attempts to foil the ICC’s probes and the tribunal’s reluctance to open an investigation into the regime’s conduct, Palestinians have begun to believe that Israel was given carte blanche to do anything it wants in the occupied territories.

Since October 7, the regime has massacred more than 11,000 Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip. Thousands of children are among the dead as the remaining population in the Palestinian territory struggles to survive under a “full siege” imposed by Israel.

Israeli troops and tanks are now directly raiding hospitals in Gaza where thousands of civilians have taken shelter. Western governments, however, continue to voice unequivocal and unflagging support for the regime, while also helping Israel muzzle dissent in the West.

culled from Tehran Times