ICC’s Khan probe ‘reduced to political referendum’, Palestinian rights groups warn

ICC’s Khan probe ‘reduced to political referendum’, Palestinian rights groups warn

Leading Palestinian human rights organisations have warned that the disciplinary process against suspended International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan has been marked by a denial of due process and "politicisation" that is "corroding" the court's independence, days before member states vote on his removal.

In a joint statement published on Friday, the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC), whose members include Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and Addameer, said it took "no position on either the validity of the claims or the defence" against Khan, but warned that flaws in the process "breaches basic human rights guarantees" and represented "a grave departure from the rule of law".

"This dangerously opens the Court to political overreach," the statement said.

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ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan visits the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv, which was hit by Russian shelling, on 8 July 2024 (ICC/AFP) ...