ICC probes Nigeria over killings

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -The International Criminal Court(ICC) has beamed its searchlight on Nigeria over continued killings in the country. Prosecutor of the ICC, Mrs Fatou Bensouda who made the revelation said the ICC is conducting preliminary examination regarding the situation, pending judicial ruling.

“The Office is also currently conducting preliminary examinations relating to the situations in Colombia; Guinea; Iraq/UK; the Philippines; Nigeria; Ukraine; and Venezuela, while the situations in Afghanistan and Palestine are pending judicial rulings”.

Nigeria is under probe for alleged crimes against humanity or war crimes committed in the Niger Delta, the Middle-Belt States and in the context of armed conflict between Boko Haram and Nigerian security forces in Nigeria, the ICC said.

The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC conducts independent and impartial preliminary examinations, investigations and prosecutions of the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.

Since 2003, the Office has been conducting investigations in multiple situations within the ICC’s jurisdiction, namely in Uganda; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Darfur, Sudan; the Central African Republic (two distinct situations); Kenya; Libya; Côte d’Ivoire; Mali; Georgia, Burundi and Bangladesh/Myanmar.

Mrs Fatou Bensouda said it received referral on13 February 2020 from the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (“Venezuela”) regarding the situation in its own territory, in accordance with its prerogatives as State Party to the Rome Statute (the “Statute”).

 
“Pursuant to article 14(1) of the Statute of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”), the referring State requests the Prosecutor to initiate an investigation into crimes against humanity allegedly committed on the territory of Venezuela, with the view to determining whether one or more persons should be charged with the commission of such crimes.

“In its referral, the Government of Venezuela states that crimes against humanity are committed “as a result of the application of unlawful coercive measures adopted unilaterally by the government of the United States of America against Venezuela, at least since the year 2014.”

“The referral is accompanied by a supporting document, which further specifies the relevant circumstances under which such crimes are alleged to have occurred. Pursuant to Regulation 45 of the Regulations of the Court, I have informed the ICC Presidency of this referral to enable the assignment of the situation to a Pre-Trial Chamber.

“This is the second referral received by my Office concerning the situation in Venezuela. Previously, on 27 September 2018, a group of States Parties to the Rome Statute, namely the Argentine Republic, Canada, the Republic of Colombia, the Republic of Chile, the Republic of Paraguay and the Republic of Peru, made a referral regarding the situation in Venezuela, since 12 February 2014.

“This followed my earlier decision, of 8 February 2018, to open a preliminary examination into the situation in Venezuela to analyse alleged crimes in the context of demonstrations and related political unrest”, she said.