The OAS noted that any action taken against the prosecutor could undermine the proceedings being carried out in the complaint against the administration of Nicolás Maduro
Following the revelation of the relationship between the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, and Venkateswari Alagendra, one of the lawyers representing Nicolás Maduro in the international justice instance, the Secretary General of the OAS expresses her support for the efforts made by the British lawyer and warns of the consequences of making unfounded or rash accusations.
The Organization published a statement on its social media this Sunday, September 8, in which it stated its position.
“We understand that it is not acceptable to doubt the integrity of any person or to speculate on the content of the actions that have been carried out, but rather on the well-founded analysis of the same. In this sense, we must assume that the Prosecutor Karim Khan acts well and will act well and in accordance with the ethical standards that are required of him and that his position merits,” the statement said.
The Secretary of State asserts that it is not pertinent to attempt to challenge the ICC prosecutor, even less so by “political actors who have been outside” all the procedures carried out in the “complaint to the chain of command of the Venezuelan authoritarian regime before the International Criminal Court.”
The body described the processing of any unsubstantiated or hasty requests as inappropriate, as these actions will undermine the proceedings being conducted. “The General Secretariat will continue its efforts to ensure that there is justice for the victims and families of the victims at the International Criminal Court.”
Statement by the General Secretariat of the OAS on press reports on the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICChttps://t.co/wCHLLAT6jF pic.twitter.com/ykrhQwHLdd
— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) September 8, 2024
On this subject, lawyer Tamara Suju posted a video on her X account in which she asks who is interested in “the scandal and the division” at a time when the “international community has united in a single voice to request the arrest of Nicolás Maduro.”
The director of the Casla Institute highlighted the work that prosecutor Khan has done in the proceedings being carried out on Venezuela. “I wonder if we have forgotten the actions of the Prosecutor’s Office, which have all been successful in favour of the victims. Let us not forget that the regime tried to delay the process by requesting the suspension of the investigation and the prosecutor asked that it continue because the State had not demonstrated that it had carried out serious and reliable investigations.”
#Venezuela: This is my reflection on the News of the day regarding @KarimKhanQCthe issue of her sister-in-law and the historic moment we are living in. Of course, answers are needed, but who benefits from scandal and division these days? pic.twitter.com/o1iJ2nfNOE
— Tamara Suju (@TAMARA_SUJU) September 7, 2024
NGO challenges Khan
On Sunday, September 8, it was learned that the Arcadia Foundation, based in Washington DC, submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) a formal request for the recusal of the chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, in a case against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to a note from the EFE agency.
The petition alleges a conflict of interest that “compromises the impartiality of the prosecutor and puts at risk the integrity of the judicial process,” with implications for the credibility of the ICC, referring to the family relationship between Khan and Venkateswari Alagendra.
The NGO is calling for the prosecutor to step aside from all actions related to the Venezuela I case, and is requesting the appointment of an independent prosecutor to ensure that the investigation and prosecution continue “without bias or the appearance of a conflict of interest.”
The diary The Washington Post revealed on Friday, September 6, that Venkateswari Alagendra, one of the lawyers of President Nicolás Maduro, is the sister-in-law of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (CPI), Karim Khan.
Alagendra is part of the legal team that has even participated in Maduro’s defense in proceedings before the ICC. This decision has generated complaints within the entity and, despite the relationship between the prosecutor and the lawyer, Khan has opposed the legal appeals presented, he says. The Washington Post.
The media indicates that from the office of Karim Khan, who has held the position of prosecutor at the ICC since 2021, issued a statement stating that the participation of his sister-in-law, Venkateswari Alagendra, is public knowledge and there were no objections from those involved in this process.
*Read also: Uruguay formalizes its adhesion to investigation against Venezuela at the ICC
Post Views: 995
