Jerusalem
CNN
—
The family of a Palestinian activist who died in Palestinian authorities’ custody has filed a “war crimes and torture” case with the International Criminal Court, they said Thursday.
Nizar Banat, a well-known Palestinian commentator for the Palestinian Authority (PA) and a large social media following, died in June 2021 in Palestinian police custody in Hebron. West Bank and beyond.
In a statement from The Hague, Banat’s brother Ghassan Khalil Mod Banat said his family felt the need to go to the ICC for “apolitical investigation and prosecution of criminals”.
“When my brother was assassinated, he was becoming a prominent opponent of[Palestinian Authority]President Mahmoud Abbas for simply telling the truth about this corrupt dictatorship. The way they are trying to kill and avoid it reflects the level of impunity and moral corruption that plagues this administration,” Banat said.
After Banat’s death, Palestinian authorities indicted 14 police officers. Banat’s family said the officers were “low rank”, the trial was a “farce” and senior officers were not questioned.
Amnesty International Conducting investigations and trials in the military rather than in civil courts violates human rights standards, he said. On the first anniversary of Banat’s death, Amnesty International’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Hevamoreif, called the military justice process a “smokescreen to protect the upper echelons”.
Hakan Kamzu, the family’s attorney, said on Thursday that it was the first time a Palestinian had brought the Palestinian authorities to the ICC.
“The PA has been a party to the ICC since 2015. But it has always been conceived as a protection against Israeli crimes against Palestinians. It has likewise become another oppressor for the Palestinian people,” Kams said in a statement. “Nizar Banat was killed to highlight the corruption and violence of this regime. We demand justice not only for him and his family, but also for all Palestinians. ”
CNN has reached out to the Palestinian Authority for comment. CNN also asked the ICC’s prosecutor’s office to confirm receipt of the case file.
