Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that he respects the decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela, but does not agree with it, as he signed a memorandum of understanding with the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, in Caracas, Venezuela
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th November, 2021) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that he respects the decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela, but does not agree with it, as he signed a memorandum of understanding with the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, in Caracas, Venezuela.�
The ICC, which can only officially open an investigation if a state is unwilling or unable to prosecute certain crimes,�has been conducting a preliminary examination into the country since 2018, following a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2017 by Maduro's security forces.
"The prosecutor has decided to go to the next phase, to seek the truth. We respect his decision as a State, although we have told him that we do not agree with it," Maduro said at the press conference, as he signed a memorandum of understanding with the ICC.
The Letter of Understanding between Bolivia and the ICC prosecutor's office was signed on Thursday during Khan's visit to Caracas to "enhance cooperation between the Parties and to facilitate the effective discharge of the Prosecutor's mandate in the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela."
During the signing ceremony, Maduro told reporters that the parties "have signed an agreement that guarantees, in an effective way, cooperation, positive complementarity, mutual support, constructive dialogue to seek truth and justice."
The Venezuelan regime led by Maduro has been accused of systematic human rights violations including killings and torture when security forces were engaged in quelling protests in 2017, which amount to crimes against humanity, according to the report released by the ICC prosecutor's office in 2020.
