Over a Hundred Organizations and Human Rights Defenders Calling for Arrest Warrants for Israeli officials to Prevent Genocide Against Palestinians

Press Release

21 December 2023

Human rights organizations and social movements worldwide urgently call on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants to prevent the continuing commission by Israeli officials of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes against Palestinians. The organizations urge Prosecutor Khan to swiftly seek arrest warrants for President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The urgent call follows a legal filing submitted by Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights on November 8. The filing underscores ongoing atrocities against the Palestinian population, including Israeli airstrikes, the suffocating siege on Gaza, forced displacement, the use of toxic gas, and the denial of basic necessities. The legal filing meticulously details the ongoing commission of these crimes, providing a case for arrest warrants under Article 58(1)(b)(3) of the Rome Statute.

The call has been coordinated by ESCR-Net. As a global network committed to advancing economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights, the Network has condemned the genocide unfolding in the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Health Ministry figures(link is external), since October 7, 19,667 Palestinians have been killed, with 70 percent being women and children.

S'bu Zikode, president of Abahlali baseMjondolo, a South African shack dwellers' movement, and ESCR-Net board member, stated, “What will end this horrific killing of innocent people, particularly women and children, is the need for justice.” These remarks were delivered during a global event pressuring U.S. Embassies worldwide to demand U.S. President Biden take every possible action to stop the unfolding genocide in Gaza perpetrated by Israel.

The ICC arrest warrants could play a vital role in deterring ongoing violations and crimes by Israeli officials. “The failure to issue warrants for identified cases exacerbates impunity, fueling Israeli occupation with open disregard for the rule of law,” the signatories state. 

>> Download the letter 

List of Signatories:

Organizations

  1.  A 11 - Initiative for Economic and Social Rights - Serbia
  2. Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA - South Africa
  3. Adaleh Center for Human Rights - Jordan 
  4. Afterwatch - DRC
  5. Agrimovement in Lebanon - Lebanon
  6. ALTSEAN-Burma - Burma
  7. Ambiente, Desarrollo y Capacitación - Honduras
  8. Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO Movement (JPPSS) - India
  9. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) - Thailand
  10. Bread and Freedom Party (under establishment) - Egypt
  11. Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) - Jordan
  12. Centre de Recherche sur l’Environnement, la Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme (CREDDHO) - RD Congo
  13.  Comité Ambiental en Defensa de la Vida - Colombia
  14. Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ) - Nepal
  15. Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH) - Honduras
  16. Consejo de Pueblos Wuxhtaj - Guatemala
  17. Consejo del Pueblo Maya - Guatemala
  18. Corporación SOS Ambiental - Colombia
  19. Dibeen for Environmental Development - Jordan
  20. Economic and Social Rights Centre - Hakijamii - Kenya
  21. Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights - Egypt
  22. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) - Eygpt
  23. ElSeidi Law Firm - Egypt
  24. Emergent Evaluation Consulting - USA
  25. EMPIRE WOMEN DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE - Nigeria
  26. FIAN International - International
  27. Fundación para el Desarrollo de Políticas Sustentables (Fundeps) - Argentina
  28. Independent Chambers - International
  29. International Accountability Project (IAP)
  30. International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP) - Malaysia
  31. Justiça Ambiental JA! - Mozambique 
  32. Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice - USA
  33. Karapatan - Philippines
  34. Kisumu Social Rights Association (KISORA) - Kenya
  35. Legal Resources Centre - South Africa
  36. Ligue Algérienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LADDH) - Algeria
  37. Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) - Maldives
  38. Manushya Foundation - Thailand
  39. Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens - Brazil
  40. MUFRAS-32 (Movimiento Unificado Francisco Sánchez 1932) - El Salvador
  41. Muungano wa wanavijiji federation Kenya
  42. Nairobi Peoples Settlement Network - Kenya
  43. National Fisheries Solidarity Movement - Sri Lanka
  44. NATIONAL UNION OF DOMESTIC EMPLOYEES - Trinidad and Tobago
  45. Natural Resource Women Platform - Liberia
  46. Noura Organization for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Sudan
  47. Observatori DESCA - Spain
  48. Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña (OFRANEH) - Honduras
  49. Otros Mundos AC 50.   PAH (Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca) - Mexico  
  50. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum - Pakistan
  51. Peace Movement Aotearoa - New Zealand 
  52. Peace Track Initiative  - Yemen   
  53. Phoenix  Center - Jordan
  54. Project on Organizing, Development, Education, and Research (PODER) - Mexico
  55. Red Acoge - Spain
  56. Red Chimpu Warmi - Bolivia
  57. Seed In A Box - Lebanon
  58. Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa - South Africa
  59. Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights - Jordan
  60. The Democracy and Workers' Rights Center in Palestine (DWRC) - Palestine
  61. The El Molo Forum - Kenya
  62. The Jus Semper Global Alliance - USA.  
  63. The Shift - International
  64. Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights - Tunisia   
  65. Union of Palestinian Workers Struggle (UPWS) - Palestine
  66. World Forum of Fisher Peoples - International
  67. Zimbabwe People’s Land Rights Movement - Zimbabwe

Individuals

  1. Kranti LC
  2. Claudia Lazzaro
  3. Faleh Hammoudi
  4. Rasha Jarhum
  5. Miriam Miranda
  6. Ahmed ElSeidi 
  7. Ahmed Awad
  8. Mounir Hassine
  9. Murielle Mignot
  10. Nidal Mansour
  11. Marie Joyce Godio
  12. Shanti Uprety
  13. Pavind Permnath
  14. Tahani Abbas
  15. Erickson Sunday Aboka
  16. Hala Murad
  17. Constanza Pauchulo
  18. Irene Escorihuela
  19. Natalia Slepoy Benites
  20. Linda Alkalash
  21. Danilo Curcic
  22. Liz Theoharis
  23. Arturo Ignacio Castillo torres
  24. Zacharia Barghouti
  25. María Benilde Carreño Gaitan
  26. Roqayah Tbeileh
  27. Camilo Bermúdez
  28. Shatha Abdulsamad
  29. Leilani Farha
  30. Judy Kodaimati
  31. Martha Devia Grisales
  32. Urieb Abdalsamad
  33. Giorga Gusciglio
  34. Sally Abu Sakha
  35. Ruben Caballero
  36. Buthaina El Haggar
  37. Daniya Rahman
  38. Nor Warczinski
  39. Mahar Musleh
  40. Enriqueta Mercader Camps
  41. Susan Mbori
  42. Kaat Schlitz
  43. Deborah Lawson
  44. Namratha Kolla
  45. Maria Laura Fons Camarena
  46. Shaimaa Mubarak
  47. Mira Samara
  48. Sarah Kodaimati
  49. Frederico Casiraghi
  50. Prabinda shakya
  51. Marie Pompei
  52. Álvaro de Regil Castilla 
  53. Gustavo Castro
  54. Erika Mendes
  55. Jen Nessel
  56. Michele Dano 
  57. Alison Feuerwerker
  58. Klea Markollari
  59. Ibrahim Ismail
  60. Giulia Sorcini
  61. Ryan Schlief 
  62. Andrea Laforest
  63. Paula Isabel Macias Flores
  64. Eduardo Aguilar
  65. Claudia Diaz
  66. Jorge Varelo
  67. Emlyn Medalla 
  68. Luzia Guillerin
  69. Aye Aye Win Lemmers
  70. Rajaa Kassab
  71. Luz Torres
  72. Mohamed Aloush
  73. Ludzia Guillerin
  74. Sadiq Aziz
  75. Amna Shawkat
  76. Doris Loy
  77. Iman Soliman
  78. Nassim POURGHAZIAN
  79. Melissa Levaillant
  80. Muziwakhe Mdlalose
  81. Isabelle Müller
  82. Alaa Talbi
  83. Héctor Garcia
  84. Julia Roknifard
  85. Prasant Paikray
  86. Debbie Stothard
  87. S’bu Zikode
  88. Christiana Louwa
  89. Eman Shahoud