The International Criminal Court: Fit For Purpose?
After Israel's conviction at ICC the knives are out for the organisation
The International Criminal Court is the only court which can prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, yet it has failed to hold powerful leaders such as Benjamin Netanyahu and Putin accountable.
“The Netanyahu case will be a challenging one”, warns former US War Crimes Ambassador Stephen Rapp, “and I don't anticipate that [arrest] would happen. If the court is unsuccessful, then there will be states that are basically concluding that this Court's not fit for purpose”. Critics argue that the ICC’s inability to enforce warrants against all global leaders undermines its legitimacy. The ICC has successfully targeted renegade warlords in African nations, with little lasting power over the many Western leaders on its warrant list, such as Vladimir Putin, who has visited many countries obligated to arrest him since the 2009 warrant was issued. As Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, concludes, “our hopes have not been realised. And more importantly, the goals set up for and by the ICC have not been met.”
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