Karim Khan, the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, announced on Wednesday that he would launch an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela, with the country's leadership saying it respects the decision but disagrees with it.
According to a copy of a memorandum of understanding signed by Khan and President Nicolas Maduro and given by the administration, Khan has "determined that he will proceed to open an investigation to establish the truth" of events in Venezuela.
According to the paper, the administration does not believe the country's circumstances "justifies the transition from the preliminary examination phase to an investigation phase," according to the report.
"As we move into this new stage, the preliminary examination that began in 2018 is nothing more than a filtering stage," Khan remarked during a state televised event.
The prosecutor is nearing the end of his trip to the South American oil country.
Both the opposition and the government of Venezuela have urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged crimes committed by their opponents. On Twitter, opposition leader Juan Guaido applauded the move to launch the probe.
Since 2018, the ICC has been conducting a preliminary investigation into the country and has stated that there is reason to think Maduro's administration officials have committed crimes against humanity.
Khan emphasized the independence of the court and stated that its investigations should not be politicized.
"As a state, we respect his decision," Maduro said, "though we have made clear that we do not share it." "We have signed an agreement that effectively ensures cooperation, positive complementarity, mutual support, and constructive dialogue in the pursuit of truth and justice."
Advocacy groups praised the ICC's decision as a step in the right way.
"This decision (...) gives hope of justice to the hundreds of victims of the Maduro regime's brutal repression," Jose Miguel Vivanco, director of Human Rights Watch's Americas division, wrote on Twitter, adding that the inquiry is the first of its kind in Latin American history.
Khan met with Maduro three times during his tour, while relatives of those arrested or allegedly killed by the regime staged public protests demanding a meeting with the prosecutor.
The International Criminal Court (ICC), which prosecutes war crimes, can only step in if a state refuses or cannot prosecute relevant offenses in its jurisdiction.
