ICC collected more evidence in last 18 months than it has in past 20 years, says chief prosecutor

By Selman Aksunger

THE HAGUE (AA) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) has collected more evidence and information in the past 18 months than it has in the 20 years since it was founded, its chief prosecutor said on Monday.

Karim Khan emphasized the court's recent intense efforts during his address at the 23rd session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the ICC's Rome Statute.

The ICC has received the most evidence and documents in its history in the last year, with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and victims submitting a large number of documents and evidence under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, he noted.

Of the 30 arrest warrants issued by the court, the chief prosecutor said 18 were issued within the last three years.

Stressing that the law must be applied equally to everyone, Khan said the protection that people on one side of the world enjoy is no different than that on the other.

He touched on the importance of working and acting together to better fulfill the court’s purpose and the tasks assigned to it under the Rome Statute.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.