US Parliamentary Efforts Against, 121 World Human Rights Groups Ask Biden To Respect ICC's Independence

United States President Joe Biden (ANTARA PHOTO/ADITYA PRADANA PUTRA)

JAKARTA - A total of 121 human rights groups (HAM) and civil society have asked United States (US) President Joe Biden to respect and support the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The request was conveyed by groups of human rights fighters and civil society in which including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and International Amnesty in a letter to President Biden, Thursday, May 23 local time.

In the letter, they highlighted the role of the ICC in ensuring the upholding of justice for serious international crimes.

They urged the Biden administration to denounce the threats recently posed by some US lawmakers to impose sanctions on ICC officials if an arrest warrant against top Israeli officials accused of committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip is carried out.

"Following on this call (US lawmakers) will seriously harm the interests of all victims globally and the US government's ability to fight for human rights and justice, which is a priority for your government," the human rights group and civil society said.

While underlining the importance of respecting the ICC to assist efforts to uphold justice for victims, this group, in its letter, further states that "Selective approach to court decisions weakens credibility, and ultimately to legal force as a shield against human rights abuses and abuses."

"We urge you to oppose any legislative efforts to weaken the ICC, and to make it clear that despite his views on the specific ICC investigation, the US continues to support an independent international justice mechanism," the letter added.

Earlier, several US lawmakers threatened the ICC on "concursion" of court decisions to seek arrest warrants against several senior Israeli officials accused of war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan filed arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Gallant as well as Hamas leaders, such as Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif.