Maldives files to intervene in ICJ case against Israel

Maldives, on Tuesday, has filed the Declaration of Intervention in the case filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel over its genocide in Gaza.

In a statement on Tuesday, Attorney General’s Office (AG Office) said Attorney General Ahmed Usham filed the Declaration of Intervention pursuant to Article 63(2) of the Statute of ICJ as the Agent of the Republic of Maldives.

South Africa filed the case with ICJ on December 29^th of last year, citing that Israel’s acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza have violated the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention).

It was detailed in the statement that Maldives focuses its intervention on the proper construction of the provisions concerning the incitement to commit genocide and the duty to punish the incitement of genocide in Articles 1, 3, 4 and 6 of the Genocide Convention, and also intervenes on the proper construction of Articles 2 and 9 of the Genocide Convention

Acknowledging that Maldives’ intervention is limited to construction of the provisions of the Genocide Convention, the statement underscored that the Maldivian government continues to condemn Israel’s multiple, serious violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory amounting to genocide and apartheid in other international forums.

In this regard, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s address at the General Debate of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly was pointed out as a recent example in the statement during which the President described Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza as a “travesty of justice and the international system” and called to hold Israel accountable for these violations of international law and UN resolutions.

The statement also reiterated Maldives’ call on Israel to halt its genocidal war against Palestine and calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and Maldives' unwavering support for the Palestinian people in their pursuit of their inalienable rights, including the establishment of a sovereign and independent State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.