Geneva, July 12th 2024
Honorable Chairman of the Pre-Trial Division International Criminal Court – The Hague
Applicant: Geneva Center for Democracy and Human Rights
Subject of application: To obtain authorisation for the applicant, as amicus curiae, to submit a legal memorandum under article 103/1 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the International Criminal Court.
Facts of the application
1 – The applicant is the Geneva Center for Democracy and Human Rights, which is an independent non-profit organisation founded on December 10, 2012 in Switzerland (CH-660.2.421.012-9). It is headquartered in Geneva and has regional offices. The organisation works with a network of experts and partners in many European countries.
2 – Article 103, paragraph 1 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the International Criminal Court stipulates that “at any stage of the proceedings, a Chamber may, if it considers it desirable for the proper determination of the case, invite or grant leave to a State, organisation or person to submit, in writing or orally, any observation on any issue that the Chamber deems appropriate. »
3 – The claimant has learned that on June 10, 2024, the United Kingdom requested the application of the aforementioned text, citing the Chamber’s decision of February 5, 2021 concerning its jurisdiction.
4 – The applicant has learned that the Preliminary Division has decided to give any State, organisation or person time to submit written or oral comments concerning the Court’s jurisdiction.
5 – When the International Criminal Court was created almost twenty years ago at the Rome International Conference, it was explicitly agreed that impunity was unacceptable for the world’s most serious crimes: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
6 – The Israeli occupation authorities have committed countless of serious and flagrant crimes against the Palestinian people for decades, and they continue to commit genocide in the Gaza Strip in full view of the world.
7 – Humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip are tragic, and the campaign of starvation against children, women and civilians continues despite the precautionary measures issued by the International Court of Justice, demanding that punitive measures be taken against the Israeli occupation’s leaders to urgently save the two million people living in very difficult conditions.
Out of our concern that the International Criminal Court should have jurisdiction to prosecute the leaders of the Israeli occupation and that those who commit the crimes stipulated in the Rome Statute should not go unpunished, we ask you as amicus curiae to grant us permission to submit a legal memorandum to your Section, with the number of pages you deem appropriate.
In the expectation of your reply, please accept, Sir, our best regards.
Geneva Center for Democracy and Human Rights https://gcdhr.org/eng/
Office : Rue de l’Est 6 CH- 1207 Genève.
Contacts :
Email : info@gcdhr.org