Nicaragua formally presented charges against Germany before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing this country of facilitating the commission of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in coordination and assistance to Israel.
At the hearing on March 8, the Nicaraguan representative before the ICJ, Carlos José Francisco Argüello Gómez, leader of the Nicaraguan delegation, highlighted that «serious violations of international humanitarian law, including genocide, are being carried out in Palestine.» , with Germany participating in the provision of weapons and other assistance to Israel.
Likewise, the Nicaraguan diplomat stressed the importance of stopping these actions that affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and warned of the devastating consequences for an entire people. In this context, he emphasized the responsibility of states not to assist the perpetrator.
Lawyer Daniel Müller, also representative of Nicaragua, stressed before the ICJ that «it is a pathetic excuse to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians while supplying military equipment used to kill and annihilate them.»
Likewise, Müller stated that «the Court knows and has recognized that there was an imminent risk of irreparable harm to the right of Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts of genocide and related prohibited acts identified in Article III of the Genocide Convention.»
«The Court has heard from Dr. Müller the facts that prompted Nicaragua to initiate this case and this request for provisional measures, and Professor Pellet has explained how Germany’s conduct in relation to the current situation in Palestine entails its responsibility under of international law,» Argüello said before the ICJ.
Nicaragua accuses Germany of violations of international law
Nicaragua considers that Germany is responsible for not having adopted the measures required by international law «to prevent and punish the commission of genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.»
«The legal dispute was described in Nicaragua’s letter of February 2, 2024, in which it specified the violations of international law for which it holds Germany responsible. The violations concern obligations under the Genocide Convention, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, and customary international law. Germany announced its rejection of Nicaragua’s claims on February 7, 2024 ,» Argüello declared in his speech.
You can read: Nicaragua demands that Germany cease its support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza before the ICJ
Nicaragua has argued in a 43-page document that Germany is violating the 1948 UN Genocide Convention by facilitating the commission of genocide by sending military equipment and cutting funds to UNRWA.
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This legal dispute at the ICJ highlights the seriousness of the allegations and the call for the international community to address these urgent concerns in relation to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
