Iran Urges ICC’s Punishment for Israeli Atrocities

Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Iran to the UN Zahra Ershadi said in an address to the 22nd session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, held in New York on December 7, that the atrocities committed by the Zionist regime during the past weeks include all the constituting elements of the most serious crimes, such as war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

Praising the International Criminal Court (ICC) staff for working tirelessly to ensure that the ICC continues to fulfill its role to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, the Iranian envoy said, “On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the world has shockingly witnessed the perpetration of atrocity crimes by the Israeli occupying regime against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”

“Over the recent days, the Israeli carpet aerial bombing and ground invasion against Gaza have caused the killing of more than 17,000 innocent people. More than 45,000 are wounded and more than 7,000 are missing under the rubble, presumably dead. Half of the enclave is leveled, with no place being spared. Hospitals, mosques, churches, schools, and other purely civilian infrastructures have not been immune, with many hundreds of people being brutally slaughtered inside these places. In fact, no quarter is given,” she added.

“The atrocities committed during the past weeks evidently include all the constituting elements of the most serious crimes, i.e., war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity,” the Iranian diplomat stated.

Highlighting the unprecedented attention towards the ICC across the world and the great expectations of the international community for the ICC, Ershadi said, “It is crucial that the Court applies the same level of attention, activity, and resources it applies to other situations, to the situation in Palestine, to avoid perceptions of double standards and selective justice, and to refuse judicial politicization of the proceedings.”

“The Court is expected not to let the perpetrators of these heinous crimes go unpunished. A whole nation that has been subject to oppressive occupation for more than 75 years is on the verge of genocide and extermination. Every day that passes without accountability, innocent civilians, including children and women, are being killed and slaughtered, with their lands being confiscated and their homes getting destroyed,” she deplored.

“Speaking of unwillingness, it seems that the shameless impunity provided to Israel by its supporters and enablers has always emboldened the occupying regime to continue its atrocity crimes with an absolute sense of comfort,” the Iranian envoy added.

“Nevertheless, the Court must demonstrate whether the ICC is an independent and impartial International Criminal Court in combating impunity and upholding the rules-based order. The Court must decide whether it tends to vigorously resist the bullying of certain states and act in the interests of justice and accountability similar to other situations and cases, or rather tends to step back and let the atrocities committed by the occupier forces in the respective situation go unpunished,” she noted.

She also called on the ICC to take every measure at its disposal to urgently launch an investigation into the recent catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and urged the ICC Prosecutor to expedite its activities, prioritize investigations, and provide all facilitation in this regard to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of these crimes.

“The swift and unwavering action by the Court will work as an important deterrence for further atrocities and will prevent the killing and slaughtering of hundreds of innocent civilians, including children and women,” she underlined.