ICC chief prosecutor says Palestinians may face war crimes investigation

Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda rejected Israeli fears of bias by the court, promising to “look into the alleged crimes committed by all sides.”

AFP

 

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has said she is weighing opening war crimes investigations into Palestinians as well as Israelis after Palestine joined the tribunal’s jurisdiction last month.

Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda briefing the Security Council. – UN Photo: Eskinder Debebe

Fatou Bensouda rejected Israeli fears of bias by the court, promising to consider the evidence “independently and impartially without fear or favour,” in an interview published by Israel’s liberal Haaretz newspaper Friday.

“We will of course look into the alleged crimes committed by all sides to the conflict. I have made this clear to both Israeli and Palestinian officials,” she said.

Bensouda said that so far her deliberations were still at a preliminary stage and no investigation had been opened into anyone from either side. “At this stage we are not investigating, as a decision on whether to open an investigation in the situation of Palestine has not been made,” she said.

 

View original Ynet publication at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4652710,00.html