The office of the court's prosecutor insists all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence its officials cease immediatelyhas issued a rare statement condemning attempts to “impede, intimidate, or improperly influence its officials” after coming under pressure from the US and Israel not to indict Israeli officials over possible war crimes inwith senior ICC officials on Wednesday to express concerns over the possibility of arrest warrants being issued against Israeli leaders,...
“The Office of the Prosecutor is aware that there is significant public interest in its investigations, and it welcomes comments, communication of concerns, and engagement in its activities from State and elected officials, non-governmental organisations, scholars, and activists,” the court stated. “Such threats, even when not acted upon, may also constitute an offence against the administration of justice under Art 70 of the Rome Statute. That provision explicitly prohibits both ‘retaliating against an official of the Court on account of duties performed by that or another official’ and ‘impeding, intimidating or corruptly influencing an official of the Court for the purpose of forcing or persuading the official not to perform, or to perform improperly, his or her duties.
The ICC has faced calls to issue indictments to Israeli officials on a range of potential offences, including failure to distinguish between