SERAP has sent a letter to the prosecutor of the (ICC), urging justice for the victims of the killings in Plateau.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Mr. Karim A. A. Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), to issue a formal ‘preventative statement’ concerning the ongoing violence, unlawful killings, crimes against children, and other violations of international law in Plateau State, Nigeria.
SERAP has also urged Mr. Khan to conduct a preliminary examination into the situation in Plateau State and extend any existing investigations to encompass the ongoing circumstances in the state.
The organization further appealed for Mr. Khan to visit Plateau State, demonstrating a commitment to deliver accountability and justice for the victims, and allocate resources from the Trust Fund for effective remedies, including reparations.
As per reports, over 190 people have lost their lives, and hundreds have been injured, with many missing. The Nigerian Red Cross estimates that 32,604 individuals have been affected by the violence.
In a letter dated December 30, 2023, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization emphasized that Mr. Khan’s swift intervention is crucial to reassure victims and their families that they will receive effective remedies, including reparations, thereby deterring further violations and addressing the prevailing culture of impunity for such crimes across Nigeria.
SERAP asserted that there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes under international law have been committed in the ongoing violence in Plateau State, and these allegations are sufficiently grave to warrant a formal statement and preliminary examination by the ICC.
The organization highlighted the unwillingness or inability of Nigerian authorities to investigate and prosecute these human rights crimes domestically, emphasizing the ICC’s jurisdiction to hold perpetrators accountable in situations where national courts are unable or unwilling to do so.
SERAP urged Mr. Khan to adopt the effective practice of issuing ‘preventative statements’ to send a powerful message to those committing grave violations of international law, aiding and abetting or facilitating such acts, or contributing to their commission that they will be brought to justice.
The organization believes that accountability is vital to ending impunity-fueled unlawful killings and other grave violations of international law in Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria.
As Nigeria is a state party to the Rome Statute, SERAP emphasized the ICC’s critical role in preventing and combating these human rights crimes and reinforcing the global effort to promote respect for universally recognized human rights, particularly the right to life.
The letter called on Mr. Khan to issue a formal statement and undertake a preliminary examination into the situation in Plateau State, reminding Nigerian authorities of their obligations to prevent and address these human rights crimes.
Source:
IntelRegion
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