ICC public hearing to look into case of Mavi Marmara

International Criminal Court (ICC) is to hold a public hearing tomorrow to look into the Israeli attack on the humanitarian flotilla the Mavi Marmara in 2010, the International Committee for Breaking the Siege announced yesterday.

Five of the Appeals Chamber judges are to attend the hearing, a statement by the organisation said, adding that they would look into the Public Prosecutor’s decision based on which no investigation was opened on the case.

Earlier, the Appeals Chamber turned down an appeal made by the Public Prosecutor against the Pre-Trial Chamber which requested that the Public Prosecutor review her decision on closing the case without investigation.

“Holding a hearing on this issue is considered very important as it came as a result of the efforts exerted by the legal team of the Freedom Flotilla, which is being recruited by the Turkish IHH, the owner of the Mavi Marmara and member of the Freedom Flotilla,” the statement said.

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It added: “This hearing could be decisive regarding the position of the Public Prosecutor, who was given an ultimatum until the middle of May to give a final decision on the case filed against the occupation state in 2013.”

Meanwhile, a lawyer of the Mavi Marmara said in a statement that “victims from 37 states have been calling for justice in the wake of the Israeli attack against the Mavi Marmara and Freedom Flotilla in May 2010.”

He added: “We are sending an open call for the Public Prosecutor and the ICC to start an investigation and achieve justice.”

For his part, Zaher Birawi, the head of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege, said: “The Public Prosecutor of the ICC has been refusing to investigate the [Israeli] crime.”

Birawi expressed hopes that this hearing would be the start of change at the ICC, and an investigation in to Israeli crimes would be launched.

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