Venezuela rejects unfounded ICC decision on appeal over investigation against the country
Internet
Published at: 01/03/2024 12:01 PM
The
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejected this Friday the decision of the
International Criminal Court (ICC) to continue the investigation requested by the extinct Lima group against the country, as part
of a manipulation maneuver on “alleged
crimes against humanity that have never occurred”.
In a statement,
“Venezuela regrets that, while the world watches with horror as the
Palestinian people are victims of a bloody genocide in the face of the inaction of the international bureaucracy called to prevent or stop it, the
International Criminal Court
has chosen to invest its time and the scarce resources available to
continue with actions that clearly distort its reason for being and undermine its credibility as an international justice body.”
Below is
the full text of the document
The
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela disagrees with the decision issued by the Appeals Chamber of
the International Criminal Court (ICC), in relation to
the country's appeal against the ruling of the Pre-Trial Chamber
in the case called “Venezuela I”.
During the
hearing held in that Appeals Chamber in November
2023, it was amply and sufficiently demonstrated that the proceedings initiated before the International Criminal
Court respond to the intention of exploiting international criminal justice
mechanisms for political purposes, all on
the basis of an accusation for alleged crimes against humanity that have never occurred.
All this
maneuver has been built on the basis of the manipulation of a small group
of crimes that, as evidenced by all the information provided by
Venezuela, have been or are being duly investigated and sanctioned by the
authorities of the Venezuelan justice system, in a sovereign manner as established by the Constitution.
Venezuela regrets
that, while the world watches with horror as the Palestinian people are victims
of a bloody genocide in the face of the inaction of the international bureaucracy called
to prevent or stop it, the International Criminal Court has chosen to invest
its time and the scarce resources available to carry out actions
that clearly distort its raison d'être and undermine its credibility as an international justice body.
The
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates that, as a sovereign State, it has the right to
carry out its own criminal proceedings in its internal courts, without external interference.
Venezuela remains willing and able to
investigate and prosecute any crime committed in its sovereign territory.
In this regard,
for some time now, Venezuela has been working closely with the ICC Attorney's Office
to design a technical assistance program aimed at continuing to
strengthen the capacities of State institutions. Venezuela
appreciates the assistance provided and confirms that it is neither necessary nor appropriate for the Office of
the Attorney General to carry out separate or additional investigations.
Finally, the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela once again renews its firm
commitment to the rule of law and international legality, while continuing to
make use of all available actions to truthfully reverse
all these mechanisms of political instrumentalization of international criminal justice.
Caracas, March 1, 2024
Mazo News Team