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To learn more about Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and the Question of Palestine, click here to visit the dedicated webpage.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 26 November 2024<\/p>\n GENEVA \u2013<\/b> UN human rights\u2019 experts today urged full compliance with the International Criminal Court\u2019s (ICC) arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and against Hamas commander Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (Deif) for war crimes and crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ICC’s decision marks a historic step towards justice and accountability, offering hope for ending decades of impunity for long-standing serious violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT),\u201d the experts said. \u201cThe protracted lack of accountability, especially of the State of Israel, has been an enabling factor to the increasing and untenable violence in the region, affecting the lives and futures of both Palestinians and Israelis.\u201d<\/p>\n Since 7 October 2023, and the military assault on Gaza and the rest of the OPT, the independent experts have received and documented evidence of grave violations of international law committed against civilian populations. \u201cThese violations, often amounting to international crimes, must stop immediately and cannot go unpunished,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n In welcoming the ICC\u2019s decision, the experts reminded States of their legal and moral obligation to uphold international law and punish war criminals, stating that the power to enforce these arrest warrants rests with governments. \u201cCompliance with the arrest warrants is critical to overcome long-standing impunity, benefiting perpetrators, and to end grave crimes in the OPT and Israel,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n As millions of people in the region, especially those in Gaza, continue to endure abhorrent atrocities, it is incumbent on all States to demonstrate their commitment to justice and upholding international law universally, without bias or double standards, the experts said. \u201cDelivering justice is often the outcome of a collective endeavour, we therefore encourage domestic courts to contribute to and complement the critical work done by the ICC.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are particularly attentive to the fundamental right of victims and their families to comprehensive and meaningful reparations and urge all relevant parties to ensure their rights are upheld,\u201d the experts said. \u201cIn order to guarantee the rights of victims and their families, it is imperative that the ICC be able to carry out their work without interference or other undue pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n *The experts: Morris Tidball-Binz,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions<\/strong><\/a><\/em>;<\/strong>\u00a0Francesca Albanese,<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Margaret Satterthwaite,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Farida Shaheed,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the right to education<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Ashwini K.P.,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito (Chair-Rapporteur), Ravindran Daniel, Michelle Small, Joana de Deus Pereira, Andr\u00e9s Mac\u00edas Tolosa<\/strong>\u00a0Working Group on the use of mercenaries<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Barbara G. Reynolds (Chair), Bina D\u2019Costa, Catherine Namakula, Isabelle Mamadou,<\/strong>\u00a0Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent<\/strong><\/a><\/em>;<\/strong>\u00a0Graeme Reid,<\/strong>\u00a0Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Tomoya Obokata,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Olivier De Schutter,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Nicolas Levrat,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on Minority issues<\/strong><\/a><\/em>;\u00a0Siobh\u00e1n Mullally,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Astrid Puentes Ria\u00f1o,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Balakrishnan Rajagopal,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Irene Khan,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression<\/strong><\/a>; Gina Romero,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association;<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\u00a0Mary Lawlor,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Michael Fakhri,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the right to food<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Ben Saul,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Heba Hagrass,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Paula Gaviria Betancur,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; George Katrougalos,<\/strong>\u00a0Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Reem Alsalem,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Laura Nyirinkindi (Chair), Claudia Flores (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Ivana Krsti\u0107, and Haina Lu,<\/strong>\u00a0Working group on discrimination against women and girls<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Bernard Duhaime,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence<\/strong><\/a><\/em>;<\/strong>\u00a0Gabriella Citroni (Chair-Rapporteur), Gra\u017cyna Baranowska (Vice-Chair), Aua Bald\u00e9, Ana Lorena Delgadillo P\u00e9rez and Mohammed Al-Obaidi,<\/strong>\u00a0Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Surya Deva,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the right to development<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Richard Bennett,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; Pedro Arrojo-Agudo,<\/strong>\u00a0Special Rapporteur on the rights to water and sanitation<\/strong><\/a><\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"