An international lawyer says that Israel, though not a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC) Statute, could be prosecuted for its May attack on the Freedom Flotilla.
The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has ordered the investigation of the Israeli attack on the Turkish-flagged aid convoy, saying that there is clear evidence to back prosecution against it.
However, international lawyer Alfred Lambremont Webre surmises that if the case is successfully brought to court, Israel will say it is not a signatory to the ICC Statute.
“That does not matter because the ICC has jurisdiction…the offenses were committed onboard a ship that is a flag state for a signatory to the Rome Statute,” Webre told Press TV on Tuesday
The ship’s flag state is the Comoros Islands, which is a member of the court.
Now, the case must be brought to the ICC by the Comoros Islands itself — or it (the case) could be associated with the ship, or with the Free Gaza Movement, or the family members of the victims, or any other parties, Webre added.
The Turkish-backed aid convoy Freedom Flotilla was stormed by Israeli commandos in international waters on May 31, claiming the lives of nine Turkish human rights activists.
The convoy was trying to deliver thousands of tons of humanitarian supplies to Gaza, which has been under Israeli siege since 2007.
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