New ICC prosecutor vows to take 'stronger cases' to trial
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[June 16, 2021]
THE HAGUE (Reuters) - British
barrister Karim Khan took over as the International Criminal Court's top
prosecutor on Wednesday with a pledge to improve its track record by
taking only its strongest cases to trial.
Khan, who is only the third person to hold the role, faces many
challenges at a time of fierce political pressure on the world's
permanent war crimes tribunal.
The ICC is handling a number of sensitive cases, including in the
Palestinian territories and Afghanistan, and members of the prosecutor's
office were personally targeted by financial sanctions while Donald
Trump was U.S. president.
Under Trump, Washington opposed decisions by Khan's predecessor, Fatou
Bensouda, to examine war crimes allegations in Afghanistan, including
against U.S. troops, and alleged atrocities in the Palestinian
territories by Israeli troops, Palestinians and other armed groups.
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The sanctions have been dropped, but U.S. and Israeli opposition to the
court remains.
Khan, 51, took an oath to serve his nine-year term honourably and
impartially during a ceremony in The Hague. He said one of his main
tasks would be improving the performance of the prosecutor's office.
Since opening in 2002, the ICC has convicted five men for war crimes and
crimes against humanity, all African militia leaders from Democratic
Republic of Congo, Mali and Uganda. Sentences ranged from nine to 30
years in prison.
Prosecutors dropped or lost at least three major cases, or failed to
gather enough evidence in others to proceed to trial.
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![](../images/061621pics/news_y49.jpg)
Defence Counsel for Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto, Karim
Khan attends a news conference before the trial of Ruto and Joshua
arap Sang at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague
September 9, 2013. REUTERS/Michael Kooren (/File Photo
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"Opening preliminary examinations, requesting
authorisation or commencing investigations is a start, but as we say
in English the proof of the pudding is in the eating. We have to
perform in trial," Khan said.
"We cannot invest so much, we cannot raise expectations so high and
achieve so little, so often in the courtroom," he said. "We need a
greater realisation of what is required... Building stronger cases
and getting better cases in the courtroom."
Already short of resources, the ICC is dealing with 14 full-blown
investigations and eight preliminary examinations.
Khan also inherits investigations opened in countries including
Myanmar, the Philippines and Ukraine.
(Reporting by Anthony Deutsch, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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