The International Criminal Court announced on Tuesday that it would resume its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela after they were referred by the Victims Participation and Reparations Section
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th June, 2023) The International Criminal Court announced on Tuesday that it would resume its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela after they were referred by the Victims Participation and Reparations Section.
"Today, 27 June 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (the 'ICC' or 'Court') issued its decision authorising the ICC Prosecution to resume its investigation in the situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela I," the ICC said in a statement.
The Hague-based court said it had received 1,875 submissions.
The three-judge panel concluded that "whilst Venezuela is taking some investigative steps, its domestic criminal proceedings do not sufficiently mirror the scope of the Prosecution's intended investigation."
The pre-trial chamber said Venezuela appeared to focus domestic investigations on direct or lower-level perpetrators and did not sufficiently address such forms of criminality as persecution and sexual offenses. It also found that the South American nation had at times limited or paused investigation for unknown reasons.
Venezuela was placed under investigation by Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru in 2018 over crimes that allegedly took place in the country since 2014. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan concluded in 2020 that there was a "reasonable basis" to believe that crimes against humanity had been committed in Venezuela since at least April 2017.
