Open Letter to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court

November 12, 2023

Mr Karim A. A. Khan KC
Office of the Prosecutor
International Criminal Court
Oude Waalsdorperweg 10
2597 AK, The Hague
The Netherlands

Dear Mr. Prosecutor,

We, scholars and lawyers working in the fields of international criminal law, international human rights law, and/or international humanitarian law in Japan, are contacting you regarding the grave violations of international law that have been committed in Israel and Palestine since October 7, 2023.

It appears that, at the very least, multiple war crimes have been committed, and continue to be committed, in the current conflict, and the possibility of crimes against humanity and genocide also being committed has been raised by United Nations independent experts [Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Nov. 2]. We therefore welcome the fact that in your October 29 video statement, you clarified that your Office is actively investigating events since October 7, both in Israel and in Gaza and the West Bank.

We also welcome the strong commitment you expressed in your October 29 press conference to realizing justice for all victims of the conflict, particularly your statements that “the protections afforded by the law apply equally regardless of one’s race and one’s religion, one’s nationality, one’s gender” and that “[m]y primary and indeed my only objective must be to achieve justice for the victims and to uphold my own solemn declaration under the Rome Statute as an independent prosecutor, impartially looking at the evidence and vindicating the rights of victims whether they are in Israel or Palestine.”

As individuals committed to the realization of universal human rights both in Japan and abroad, we express our support for your Office’s investigation into the Palestine situation. We also respectfully call on you:

1. to ensure that your Office’s investigation into the crimes committed since October 7 is carried out with all due haste, and is not restricted to war crimes, but also examines evidence of the possible commission of crimes against humanity and genocide;

2. to ensure that if evidence of such crimes is found and those responsible are identified, applications for arrest warrants are promptly made; and

3. to request all States Parties and the international community as a whole to support the investigation, including by providing additional funding and through the loan of gratis personnel.

Yours sincerely,

[Names listed in alphabetical order]

Koki ABE (Professor, Faculty of International Studies, Meiji Gakuin University)
Yukari ANDO (Professor, Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Toyama)
Kyo ARAI (Professor, Faculty of Law, Doshisha University)
Stephanie COOP (Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Aoyama Gakuin University)
Teyong HAN (Attorney-at-Law, Daini Tokyo Bar Association)
Yasushi HIGASHIZAWA (Professor, Faculty of Law, Meiji Gakuin University; Attorney-at-Law, Daini Tokyo Bar Association)
Sadamasa HONDA (Attorney-at-Law, Tokyo Bar Association)
Futaba IGARASHI (Attorney-at-Law, Tokyo Bar Association)
Masako INOUE (Professor, Faculty of Law, Kanagawa University)
Miha ISOI (Attorney-at-Law, Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association)
Kazuko ITO (Attorney-at-Law, Tokyo Bar Association)
Makoto IWAI (Attorney-at-law, Daini Tokyo Bar Association)
Masaki KIHARA (Professor, Faculty of Law, Kobe Gakuin University)
Aisa KIYOSUE (Professor, Center for Fundamental Education in Science and Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology)
Koichi KODAMA (Attorney-at-Law, Tokyo Bar Association)
Shu KOIKE (Attorney-at-Law, Tokyo Bar Association)
Saori MATSUYAMA (Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Osaka University of Economics and Law)
Toshimi MIZOKAMI (Attorney-at-Law, Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association)
Yasuko MOROOKA (Attorney-at-Law, Tokyo Bar Association)
Akiko NARUMI (Attorney-at-Law, Miyazaki Bar Association)
Yota NEGISHI (Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Seinan Gakuin University)
Osamu NIIKURA (Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Law, Aoyama Gakuin University; Attorney-at-Law, Tokyo Bar Association)
Kumiko NIITSU (Doctorante en droits de l’Homme, Institut de recherches Carré de Malberg (IRCM), Université de Strasbourg; Former consultant, UNHCR Japan)
Yuko OSAKADA (Professor, Chuo Law School, Chuo University)
Miho OMI (Professor, Faculty of Law, Kanagawa University)
Emi OMURA (Attorney-at-Law, Tokyo Bar Association)
Teppei ONO (Attorney-at-Law, Aichi Bar Association)
Ryo SASAKI (Lecturer, Faculty of Contemporary Liberal Arts, University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo)
Ikuko SATO (Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, J.F. Oberlin University)
Hae Bong SHIN (Dean, Professor, Faculty of Law, Aoyama Gakuin University)
Takao SUAMI (Professor, Waseda Law School, Waseda University)
Yohei SUDA (Attorney-at-Law, Tokyo Bar Association)
Saul J. TAKAHASHI (Professor of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Osaka Jogakuin University)
Makoto TERANAKA (Lecturer, Centre for General Education, Tokyo Keizai University)
Eriko TAMURA (Associate Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Miyazaki Municipal University)
Kenji URATA (Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Law, Waseda University)

In addition to the above, a further 6 signatories endorse the letter anonymously.

Japanese translation of letter:

私たちは、日本において、国際刑事法・国際人権法・国際人道法の領域で活動している研究者および弁護士は、2023年10月7日以来、イスラエルとパレスチナで犯されてきた重大な国際法違反に関して、検事にこの手紙を書いています。
 
この紛争では、複数の戦争犯罪が犯されまた現在も続いています。さらに、複数の国連の独立専門家が、人道に対する犯罪と集団殺害犯罪が犯されているか犯される恐れがあることを指摘しています（Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Nov. 2）。 こうした状況に鑑み、私たちは、10月29日のビデオ声明において、検事が、ICC検察局がイスラエルおよびガザ・ヨルダン川西岸における10月7日以来の出来事を積極的に捜査していると発表したことを歓迎します。
 
私たちはまた、検事が10月29日の記者会見において、紛争のすべての犠牲者に対する正義を実現するとの強いコミットメントを表明したこと、特に「法が与える保護は、人種・宗教・国籍・ジェンダーにかかわらず平等に適用される」と表明し、また「私の第一のかつ唯一の目的は、被害者のために正義を実現し、イスラエルとパレスチナのいずれの地の犠牲者であるかにかかわらず公平に証拠を検討し犠牲者の権利を回復することにより、独立検察官としてローマ規程の下で私が厳粛に誓った宣言の精神を実現することである」と表明したことを歓迎します。
 
日本および世界での普遍的人権を実現すべく努めている者として、私たちは、パレスチナ事態に関する貴検察局の捜査に対する支持を表明します。また、私たちは検事に以下を求めます。

1. 10月7日以来、犯された犯罪に対する貴検察局による捜査を遅滞なく確実に行うこと。また、戦争犯罪のみでなく、人道に対する犯罪と集団殺害犯罪が犯された可能性に関する証拠を検討すること、

2. これらの犯罪に関する証拠が見つかり責任者が特定された場合、速やかに責任者に対する逮捕状の発行を請求すること、

3. ICCの全締約国および国際社会全体に、追加的資金提供と無償の人材提供を含む捜査の支援を求めること。