Comment from the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the application of the ICC prosecutor to issue arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and Israeli prime minister and defence minister
Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
22.05.2024
Comment from the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the application of the ICC prosecutor to issue arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and Israeli prime minister and defence minister.
"The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an independent and impartial international court that investigates and tries the most serious international crimes if the country that has jurisdiction for proceedings is unable or unwilling to do so. The International Criminal Court and the prosecutor must be free of external interference and pressure. Estonia supports the independence of the ICC and has always done so.
The ICC prosecutor has submitted an application for issuing arrest warrants but the court has not made a decision yet. The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber must now debate the prosecutor's application for arrest warrants and assess the evidence submitted and the relevant circumstances. As the court has not yet examined the application of the prosecutor, we should not speculate on possible arrest warrants.
At the same time, we must admit that it was curious to hear about the simultaneous applications for arrest warrants for both the leaders of Hamas as well as the Israeli prime minister and defence minister. Hamas is a terrorist organisation. Israel has the right and responsibility to defend its people, naturally while respecting and adhering to international humanitarian law. Equating Hamas with the State of Israel is something we cannot consider appropriate in any sense.
Estonia is also working to make sure that crimes receive a just punishment in independent trials. We call on all countries to cooperate with the ICC and strive to ensure an independent investigation of potential offences."
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