ALBAWABA - In a statement to TASS Agency, lawyer Burak Bekiroglu, a number of Turkish citizens are in the process of filing a lawsuit against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court (ICC), waiting for the approval of the Turkish Justice Ministry.
Bekiroglu said that along with a number of other lawyers, they have referred their petition to the International Anti-corruption Law Bureau of the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office to be further sent to the ICC.
"This bureau submitted our petition to the Justice Ministry’s main directorate for foreign relations via the UYAP electronic system. And it will send the physical copy of our suit to the ICC. The motion will reach the ICC no later than next week," he said.
Metin Kulunk, a former member of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party, and Turkish lawyers Mucahit Birinci and Burak Bekiroglu have petitioned the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office to file a case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the International Criminal Court.
The petition said that Netanyahu "has committed crimes such as war, genocide, and a crime against humanity in full view of the world." It also said that "Netanyahu does not hesitate to use weapons prohibited by international law in what could constitute crimes." The petition stated that "Netanyahu and his associates should be brought before the International Criminal Court under international criminal norms" TASS reported.
Since Turkey has not joined the Rome Statute, it cannot officially initiate lawsuits with the ICC. Although Ankara cannot directly petition the court to establish a tribunal, it can "inform the prosecutor's office" about crimes through government structures or non-governmental organizations, according to the Hurriyet Daily newspaper.
Earlier this week, a number of European lawyers representing the victims of the latest Israeli aggression on Gaza will be filing an official complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague.
A delegation of lawyers headed by Gilles Devers, accompanied by four others, submitted the complaint to the ICC’s prosecutor.
Hamas operation against Israel
Hamas military group announced on Oct. 7 a military operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel which is the biggest offensive in decades.
Palestinian fighters “infiltrated” Israel from the Gaza Strip captured military bases and took hostages as photos and videos went viral online showing Hamas fighters on vehicles inside Israel and others paragliding into occupation territory.
In response, Israeli armed forces announced targeting Hamas positions inside the Gaza Strip. Thousands were killed, and dozens of thousands of others were injured in the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.
According to the latest Ministry of Health statistics, the latest death toll has jumped to 11,320 people killed since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza on October 7th. These numbers include 4,650 children.
