Afrasianet - In a landmark development in the trial of Zionist criminals, prosecutors in the Netherlands are considering a request to open a criminal case against senior Israeli intelligence officials accused of interfering with and influencing the International Criminal Court's investigation into war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The request was filed last week by 20 specialists asking Dutch prosecutors to look into Israeli attempts to thwart the ICC's investigation into war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza.
According to the lawyers, the criminal complaint was filed based on an investigation by the Guardian, which revealed how Israeli intelligence has tried for nine years to undermine, influence and intimidate the ICC prosecutor's office.
As the host country of the ICC located in The Hague, the Netherlands is bound by an agreement with the court to protect the safety and security of ICC personnel and must ensure that it is "free from interference of any kind."
The criminal complaint called on the Dutch authorities to respect their obligations to the ICC "as a matter of urgency", according to excerpts from the lawsuit revealed by the Guardian.
In their formal application, the complainants noted that "Israel's many attempts to influence, sabotage and stop the investigation constitute a direct violation."
A Dutch prosecutor's spokesman confirmed that "the complaint has been accepted in our offices and is being examined."
The ICC's investigation into Israel's war crimes committed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip began in 2015 when the court opened a preliminary investigation into the situation in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, a move that led Israel to launch a secret campaign against the court.
Following the start of the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on 7 October 2023, the current ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, filed a request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Galant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
A Dutch foreign ministry spokesman did not comment on the criminal complaint, but said the government had an "ongoing and good relationship with the ICC" and security issues were being discussed.
"Let's make one thing clear: the Netherlands is doing its best to allow the ICC to carry out its work safely, without interference and independently."
A spokesman for the ICC prosecutor's office said Karim Khan made clear in May that attempts to "deter, intimidate or improperly influence ICC officials could constitute crimes under Article 70 of the Rome Statute."
"The Office remains deeply concerned about the ongoing attempts to inappropriately influence its activities through threats and intimidation of its officials."
ICC prosecutor reveals pressure on him to prevent arrest of Netanyahu and Galant
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, revealed that he has been under pressure from state leaders to prevent him from issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
Khan said in an interview with the BBC that he had seen the evidence supporting the decision to issue the memorandum, stressing the need to treat all countries equally, whether they are supported by NATO, European countries, powerful countries, or not.
He noted that the ICC must issue arrest warrants for both the leaders of Israel and Hamas to ensure that the law is applied fairly to all. He explained that he was pressured by some world leaders to prevent him from issuing an arrest warrant, saying: "Many leaders and others told me, advised and warned me."
Khan welcomed the withdrawal of the new British government's objection to a request for an arrest warrant against Netanyahu. In May, Khan announced his request for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on charges of "crimes against humanity" in Gaza.
Since October 7, Israel, with US support, has waged a war on Gaza, killing and injuring more than 135,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, in addition to more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that has killed dozens of children.
A number of ICC member states have reported that the court has jurisdiction over Israeli officials who commit crimes in the Palestinian territories.
This came in a joint official statement issued by Spain, Ireland, Colombia, Brazil, Palestine, South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros and Djibouti, sent to the Preliminary Examination Department specialized in issuing an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
The statement stressed that the court has jurisdiction over Israeli officials who commit crimes in the Palestinian territories in accordance with the Rome Statute.
The arrest warrants against Israeli politicians mark the first time the ICC has targeted "the supreme leader of a close ally of the United States."
After initial reports of Khan's intentions emerged, Netanyahu warned that if the court in The Hague gave the green light to the
arrest warrants, it would constitute an "unprecedented anti-Semitic hate crime."
US House Speaker Mike Johnson also said Congress was considering the possibility of imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court in the event of an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
.Isn't this a scandalous act that confirms the double standards of the countries of the West, which praises democracy, freedom of expression and human rights?