PA takes steps to become ICC member
Published today (updated) 17/10/2009 17:33
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Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian Minister of Justice Ali Al-Khashan presented
documents to the attorney general of the International Criminal Court on
Friday, which outlined allegations of Israeli war crimes committed prior to
the war on Gaza.

Al-Khashan said he also answered several inquiries from the court that would
guarantee Palestine a place within the Rome Statute and thus full membership
at the court. He said in a phone interview that he and a delegation were
preparing papers requested by the court in preparation for full membership.

In order to become a member a state must sign then ratify the Rome Statute.
Once a state is a member of the ICC, the court can proceed with
investigations into crimes which may have occurred on the territory of the
member, or by a national of the member. The member is obligated to surrender
suspects from their state once they have ratified the agreement. Members are
also entitled to vote in the ICC's governing body.

He cautioned, however, that those waiting for ICC action on alleged Israeli
war crimes should "have patience" since "we do not have any documentation
for the Israeli crimes," but said membership in the international body would
give Palestinians the "ability to confront with peaceful follow-up the
revelation of Israeli war crimes."

The minister said the efforts were a continuation of previous efforts to
gain membership at the court. He noted that "the Palestinian Authority is
following up steps that were made previously to gain membership in the Rome
agreement."

"The Goldstone report set out mechanisms [leading to the prosecution of
Israeli war criminals], and the Human Rights Council set out mechanisms that
clarified those steps," Al-Khasham said, "now the PA is carrying out those
steps."