PA to submit three files to ICC

The Palestinian Liberation Organisation’s Saeb Erekat revealed yesterday that Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, along with a delegation of experts from the PLO’s negotiating circle, will submit three files to the International Criminal Court today.

Erekat, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, told a local radio station Mawteni that the three files are related to settlements, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and the Israeli military attack on the Gaza Strip. They constitute the outcome of the ICC’s questions and queries, which were answered by the Palestinian Authority in full.

He said the High National Committee in charge of following up on the ICC prepared the three files in collaboration with all Palestinian factions that are members of the committee; civil society organisations; professional syndicates; journalists; lawyers; the security apparatuses; and the technical committee, which comprises hundreds of legal experts. He also mentioned the role of the international committee that was commissioned by the Palestinian Authority to review the files.

Erekat pointed out that the next step after the files are submitted will be that the court’s prosecutor will ask the judicial council whether there is enough evidence to open legal cases.