Human Rights Organizations Thank ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda for Service

Today, 79 human rights organizations, including the Open Society Justice Initiative, sent their gratitude to the outgoing International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, for her many years of service to the Court and for the progress made by the Office of the Prosecutor during her tenure.

As Prosecutor, Ms. Bensouda, a native of Gambia, led the ICC through five convictions and four acquittals. She also steered the court through unprecedented political backlash and attacks on the Court’s independence, including President Trump’s executive order imposing sanctions on herself and other ICC staff, as well as individuals who support the Court and its mission. The Open Society Justice Initiative and four law professors sued the U.S. government in 2020 over the order. The Biden administration revoked the executive order in April.

On June 16th, British human rights lawyer Karim Khan begins his nine-year tenure as the ICC’s third Prosecutor. The letter also calls on him to build on his predecessor’s legacy and to continue to ensure that the Prosecutor’s Office fulfills its mandate, regardless of the nationality or position of the alleged perpetrators.