Israeli Legal Group Files Hague Complaints, Says Qatar Helped a Terror Group

The Israeli organization "Shurat HaDin" filed complaints today (Sunday) with the International Criminal Court in The Hague and with Israel’s attorney general, alleging that the purported actions of Qatar and U.K.-based private intelligence firms amount to assisting a terror organization. This was reported by Maariv.

As a reminder, last week it was revealed that Qatari officials promised assistance to the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, in exchange for his efforts to advance an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Khan has been investigated over the past year on suspicion of ethics violations and was suspended from his post.

According to a report in the British media, Qatari officials employed British private investigators to work to smear the reputation of an ICC staff member who had filed a complaint against Khan.

In the complaint that "Shurat HaDin" submitted to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, against the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the organization argues that the actions attributed to Qatar constitute obstruction of justice and a violation of the Rome Statute, which addresses, among other things, interference, intimidation, or improper influence over a Court official.

The organization demands that, if the investigation’s findings substantiate the allegations, they be presented to the Court for a renewed examination of the arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

At the same time, in a letter sent to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, "Shurat HaDin" requests the opening of a criminal investigation in Israel. According to the organization, the acts attributed to Karim Khan, Qatari officials, and the British intelligence companies also constitute offenses under Israeli law, including aiding Hamas.