November 16, 2023
LISTEN to the press conference
Liberal cabinet members have been notified that they & other Canadian officials may be individually criminally liable for their role in aiding & abetting war crimes & crimes against humanity.
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) Legal Working Group for Canadian Accountability have issued a notice to the Government of Canada of its intention to prosecute Canadian officials for their role in aiding and abetting Israel’s perpetration of war crimes. The notice was issued to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, Minister of National Revenue Marie-Claude Bibeau, & Minister of Justice (Attorney General) Arif Virani. The notice included a stark warning that Canadian government officials could be individually liable & face prosecution before the International Criminal Court for their role in aiding & abetting Israeli war crimes (a violation of Article 25(3)(c) & (d) of the Rome Statute).
BACKGROUND
To date over 11,000 people in Gaza have been killed by Israel’s military. Israel’s alleged international crimes include the withholding of humanitarian aide & safe passage, military attacks on civilians, and ethnic cleansing through a campaign of forced displacement of 1.2 million people.
Yet in the midst of clear evidence of war crimes & crimes against humanity & despite international outrage from the United Nations and human rights experts across the globe, Canada has continued to pledge its steadfast support for Israel. It has also refused to halt arms exports, refused to take action to prevent the illegal recruitment of Canadian volunteers to assist Israel’s military & refused to stop millions of dollars from being unlawfully sent by some Canadian organizations with charitable status to benefit Israel’s military.
SPEAKERS:
Shane Martinez
Asaf Rashid
Tayab Ali
Ayman Oweida
Hammam Farah
Susan Power
MODERATOR:
Bianca Mugyenyi, Canadian Foreign Policy Institute
ENDORSED BY:
Al- Haq Al Mezan Center for Human Rights Canadian Foreign Policy Institute Independent Jewish Voices (Canada) Just Peace Advocates Palestinian Center for Human Rights Palestinian & Jewish Unity World BEYOND War (Toronto) Please consider supporting the work of the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute at: www.foreignpolicy.ca/donation