{"id":16355,"date":"2026-04-02T13:59:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T13:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/achrights.org\/?p=16355"},"modified":"2026-04-02T15:33:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T15:33:21","slug":"call-to-the-government-of-lebanon-to-recognize-the-jurisdiction-of-the-international-criminal-court-icc-over-events-since-october-8-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/achrights.fr\/en\/2026\/04\/02\/16355\/","title":{"rendered":"Call to the Government of Lebanon to Recognize the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Over Events Since October 8, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We, the undersigned activists and Lebanese, regional, and international civil society organizations, call on the Government of Lebanon to urgently take all necessary steps to recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over crimes committed on Lebanese territory since October the 8th<\/sup>, 2023. Given the inability of Lebanese domestic courts to investigate and prosecute crimes committed by foreign armed forces on Lebanese territory, the complementarity principle under Article 17 of the Rome Statute confirms that the ICC would be the appropriate forum for such proceedings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lebanon continues to face grave violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The escalation of hostilities since October 2023 has resulted in the killing and injury of civilians, largescale displacement, destruction of homes and critical infrastructure, and attacks that may amount to gravest crimes of concern to the international community, including war crimes under the Rome Statute. Civilians in Lebanon have the right to protection, truth, justice, and accountability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lebanon is not a State Party to the Rome Statute. However, Article 12(3) provides a clear mechanism for a State to accept the exercise of jurisdiction by the court for crimes committed on its territory. Several states have used this pathway to ensure impartial, independent, and internationally recognized accountability when domestic mechanisms were unavailable or insufficient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognizing the ICC\u2019s jurisdiction would:<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Affirm Lebanon\u2019s commitment to international law and civilian protection <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Enable impartial investigation of all alleged crimes <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Strengthen Lebanon\u2019s international standing <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Provide victims with a credible path to justice <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Contribute to long-term stability by countering impunity <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, we urge the Government of Lebanon to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Initiate the process to ratify the Rome Statute and immediately submit an Article 12(3) declaration recognizing ICC jurisdiction over crimes committed since October 2023 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Cooperate fully with the ICC <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Publicly affirm Lebanon\u2019s commitment to accountability and the rule of law <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Engage with civil society and victims\u2019 groups to ensure their needs are central to any accountability process <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signatories:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n