The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, through a Communiqué from the Chancellory, rejects the decision adopted by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Ahmad Khan QC, to request authorization for the investigation from the Pre-Trial Chamber, echoing the campaigns that seek to instrumentalize the issue of justice and human rights for political purposes.
The document also denounces that the ICC Prosecutor’s request is basically based on secondary sources, lacking any credibility, given their marked partiality and clear politicization, to the detriment of the rigor expected from an international instance of such relevance in matters specialized administration of justice.
Following, the full Communiqué:
“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects the decision taken by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Ahmad Khan QC, to request authorization for the investigation from the Pre-Trial Chamber.
From the very beginning of the Preliminary Examination and, especially, after the start of the investigation in November 2021, Venezuela has provided ample and sufficient information that demonstrates how, through the competent institutions, the country is investigating or has investigated, alleged punishable acts against human rights, in order to determine the truth and establish, if applicable, the corresponding criminal responsibilities.
For this reason, in April 2022, the ICC Prosecutor was asked to refrain from exercising his jurisdiction in favor of the Venezuelan justice system, in accordance with the provisions of Article 18.2 of the Rome Statute, considering the primacy of jurisdiction. and the subsidiary and complementary nature of the ICC jurisdictional system.
From that very moment, the investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office was, and continues being, suspended in application of the provisions of the Statute.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela regrets that, despite all the information provided and the fluid exchanges held with the Prosecutor’s Office during 2022, Prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan QC maintains a clearly prejudiced vision, in relation to the situation in Venezuela, becoming echo of the campaigns that seek to instrumentalize the issue of justice and human rights for political purposes.
It is especially worrying that the ICC Prosecutor’s request is basically based on secondary sources, lacking any credibility, given their marked partiality and clear politicization, to the detriment of the rigor expected from an international instance of such relevance in matters of specialized administration of justice.
Venezuela, in exercise of the corresponding legal powers, will go before the Preliminary Trial Chamber to defend the truth and demonstrate the productive work of the national authorities in the investigation of all denounces of serious crimes against people.
Finally, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as a State Party to the Rome Statute, ratifies that it will continue to collaborate in good faith with the Prosecutor’s Office and the International Criminal Court, in faithful compliance with its international commitments.”
Caracas, November 5, 2022
