The president of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), Gladys Gutiérrez, received this Thursday the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Ahmad Khanwith whom he exchanged about the progress of the country as a democratic and social State of Law and Justice enshrined in the Constitution.
According to a press release from the TSJGutiérrez received Karim Ahmad Khan at the headquarters of the country’s highest court in Caracas, as part of his official visit to Venezuela with the aim of reviewing the progress of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Venezuelan State and the International Criminal Court in the year 2021.
In this regard, the President of the TSJ highlighted the work carried out by the Judiciary to guarantee respect and protection of human rights in the country.
The work carried out “within the framework of constitutional and legal powers, to guarantee respect and protection of Human Rights in the country” was reviewed, the note said.
Memorandum of understanding
In addition, Gutiérrez ratified the cooperation provision of the country’s high court in the execution of the current Memorandum of Understanding.
Likewise, he highlighted the permanent work carried out by the country’s courts to guarantee effective judicial protection, due process and procedural speed to the defendants.
“The meeting was conducive to sharing considerations about the advances in technical cooperation provided for in the Memorandum of Understanding, in matters that concern the Venezuelan Judiciary, in accordance with the applicable legal system,” said the TSJ.
During the meeting between the President of the TSJ and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Edgar Gavidia Rodríguez and Henry José Timaure Tapia, first and second vice president of the TSJ, respectively, were present; the executive secretary of the National Human Rights Council and State agent before the Inter-American Human Rights System, Larry Devoe, as well as Federico Fuenmayor and Julio Arias, advisors to the Office of the Presidency of the TSJ, refers to a note from the highest court.
ICC visits to Venezuela
This is Karim Ahmad Khan’s third visit to the country, after the work schedule held between November 1 and 3, 2021; and on March 31, 2022.
This visit reaffirms the principle of constructive dialogue, as well as the willingness of the ICC Prosecutor to meet in situ with the Venezuelan authorities.
Karim Ahmad Khan previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding that aims to seek truth and justice through cooperation, positive complementarity, mutual support and constructive dialogue.
In this regard, in November 2021, the President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, described the Memorandum of Understanding as a “historical document”, therefore “expresses the synthesis of this day that has been a step forward in complementary relations positive and cooperation between the Venezuelan State and the Prosecutor’s Office of the Criminal Court of The Hague”.
Subsequently, in March 2022, the opening of an office of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office in Caracas was formalized to deepen effective dialogue and technical assistance with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, an action that, according to Khan QC, facilitates “the fulfilling my responsibilities under the Rome Statute”.
The ICC Prosecutor’s Office has special advisors in Venezuela “who will be able to provide technical assistance to facilitate the transfer of knowledge, deepen and strengthen our alliances, as well as identify different areas at the institutional level”, not only to guarantee the approval of laws, but also its full implementation and application.
Meetings with authorities
As part of his work schedule, Karim Khan, in addition to meeting with the Head of statealso held a meeting with the Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, and with the Attorney General of the Republic, Tarek William Saab, with the purpose of continuing in the search for formulas of collaboration and joint technical assistance.
In March of last year, President Maduro received Khan, in the context of the agreements signed in November 2021 in the memorandum of understanding with the nation that contemplates processes of institutional complementarity between the Venezuelan State and the ICC Prosecutor’s Office.
On that occasion, the Venezuelan Head of State stressed that the Bolivarian Government is the first party interested in guaranteeing “the enjoyment of human, social and political rights by our people; we are the first interested in justice being done.”
