Family of Nizar Banat sues Palestinian Authority at ICC

• Nizar Banat passed away in Hebron police prison in June 2021.
• He was being held by the Palestinian Authority.
• His family sued the ICC for torture and war crimes.

The family of a Palestinian activist Nizar Banat who passed away while being held by the Palestinian Authority said on Thursday that they have launched a “war crimes and torture” lawsuit with the International Criminal Court.

Nizar Banat, a well-known Palestinian on social media and a vocal opponent of the Palestinian Authority (PA), passed away in Hebron police prison in June 2021.

Leading people in the West Bank and beyond strongly condemned the Palestinian Authority in the wake of his killing and called for widespread protests.

In a statement from The Hague, Banat’s brother Ghassan Khalil Moh’d Banat said the family felt the need to go to the ICC for “an unpolitic zed investigation and prosecution of criminals.”

“When my brother was assassinated, he was becoming a prominent opponent to (Palestinian Authority President) Mahmoud Abbas, just by saying the truth about this corrupt and authoritarian regime.

The way they killed him and are trying to get away with it reflects the level of impunity and of moral corruption that plague this regime,” Banat said.

Following Banat’s passing, the Palestinian Authority accused 14 officers. The cops were “low ranked,” the trial was “farcical,” and no senior officer was questioned, according to Banat’s relatives.

According to Amnesty International, it was against human rights laws for the investigation and trial to be conducted in a military court rather than a civilian one.

Heba Morayef, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, described the military judicial system as a “smokescreen to protect those higher up” on the day marking a year after Banat’s passing.

According to the family’s lawyer, Hakan Camuz, this is the first instance in which a Palestinian has taken the Palestinian Authority to the ICC.

“The PA has been a State party to the ICC since 2015. Yet, it has always been devised as a protection against the crimes of Israel against Palestinians. Sadly, under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority has become another oppressor for the Palestinian people, just as much as Israel,” Camuz said in a statement. “Nizar Banat was killed because he shed the light on this regime’s corruption and violence. We are seeking justice for him, for his family but also for the whole people of Palestine.”

The Palestinian Authority Presidency has been contacted by Media for comment on the matter. Media has also requested confirmation from the ICC Prosecutor’s Office that the case file has been received.

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