Maldives can take Israel to court over war crimes, top lawyer says
Israel has cut off water, food, oil and electricity to 2.3 million people in Gaza since the Hamas attack.
By
Mariyam Umna Ismail
Former President of the Bar Council and prominent lawyer Maumoon Hameed has said that the Maldives has the power to condemn Israel's attack on Palestinians and prosecute it.
More than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's continuous attacks in retaliation for Hamas's sudden invasion and rocket attacks on October 7.
Meanwhile, many people in Maldives have boycotted goods from companies affiliated with the country. They are also calling on the government to ban Israeli tourists from entering the country.
Referring to Article 13 of the Penal Code, Maumoon Hameed said in a post on X that Maldives has the power to provide aid to Palestine without relying on the international community.
The article states:
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Wherever the crime was committed and where the lives of the perpetrators were based, the State has the power to prosecute any offence that violates international law and an international treaty that the Maldives has participated in.
At the UN Security Council meeting last month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said that Israel was violating international law in its ongoing war with the Palestinian armed group Hamas.
Israel has cut off water, food, oil and electricity to 2.3 million people in Gaza since the Hamas attack.
