'Karim Khan did his job': Founding chief prosecutor on threats against ICC

Luis Moreno Ocampo was the International Criminal Court's founding chief prosecutor.

He was in the role from 2003 until 2012 and initiated several major investigations.

Now the Argentinian lawyer is urging the world to defend the ICC against intense international pressure.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan "knew the UK and US were threatening him if he prosecuted Netanyahu", Moreno Ocampo said on Thursday in an exclusive interview with Middle East Eye.

Khan, the prosecutor who successfully sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in May last year, was sanctioned by the Trump administration in February this year for seeking to investigate US and Israeli nationals. 

The UK did not publicly threaten Khan, but MEE has revealed that last April, David Cameron, then the British foreign secretary, threatened in a phone call with Khan that the UK would defund and withdraw from the ICC if the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.

Cameron did not respond to multiple requests by MEE for comment.

"It would be interesting to interview Mr Cameron," Moreno Ocampo said.

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