Historical Organization
Office of the Prosecutor
Office of the Prosecutor
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Organization Timeline
Luis Moreno Ocampo elected first ICC Prosecutor
đź“… 21 April 2003The Assembly of States Parties elected Argentine jurist Luis Moreno Ocampo as the first Prosecutor. His office would decide which situations to investigate within the jurisdiction conferred by the...
ICC opens investigation into Democratic Republic of the Congo
📅 23 June 2004The Prosecutor opened an investigation after the DRC referred its situation. The first ICC case concerned recruitment and use of child soldiers by Thomas Lubanga. The case demonstrated the Court’s...
ICC opens investigation into Uganda
📅 29 July 2004Following Uganda’s self-referral, the Prosecutor opened the Court’s first investigation, focused on the Lord’s Resistance Army. The referral enabled ICC action but narrowed the initial focus toward...
Prosecutor requests arrest warrant for Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir
📅 14 July 2008The Prosecutor applied for a warrant against Sudan’s sitting president on genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes allegations. The request brought head-of-state immunity, Security Council...
ICC authorizes first Prosecutor-initiated investigation in Kenya
📅 31 March 2010Pre-Trial Chamber II authorized an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity following the Prosecutor’s proprio motu request. This was the Court’s first situation opened without a state or...
ICC Prosecutor opens investigation into Libya
📅 3 March 2011The Prosecutor opened an investigation after the Security Council referral. Warrants followed for Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi. The government’s collapse and...
ICC opens investigation into alleged crimes in Mali
đź“… 16 January 2013The Prosecutor opened an investigation after Mali referred its situation. The investigation covered alleged crimes committed since January 2012, including in northern Mali. The government referral...
Prosecutor reopens preliminary examination of Iraq and the United Kingdom
đź“… 13 May 2014The Prosecutor reopened the preliminary examination into alleged crimes by British forces in Iraq after receiving additional information. The episode put complementarity to a demanding test: the Court...
ICC opens second investigation into Central African Republic
đź“… 24 September 2014The Prosecutor opened a second investigation into alleged crimes committed since 2012 after the Central African Republic referred the situation. It followed an earlier investigation and concerned...
Prosecutor withdraws charges against Uhuru Kenyatta
đź“… 5 December 2014The Prosecutor withdrew the charges against Kenyatta, citing insufficient evidence and difficulties obtaining relevant material from the Kenyan government. The withdrawal was not an acquittal after...
Prosecutor opens preliminary examination in Palestine
📅 16 January 2015Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opened a preliminary examination after Palestine’s declaration and accession process. The examination assessed jurisdiction, admissibility and gravity; it was not an...
Prosecutor requests authorization to investigate Afghanistan
đź“… 20 November 2017The Prosecutor asked judges to investigate alleged crimes by the Taliban, Afghan forces and international forces, including US personnel. The request challenged the Court to address alleged conduct by...
US revokes ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s visa
📅 5 April 2019The State Department revoked Bensouda’s visa as the ICC pursued an Afghanistan investigation. The US said the restriction did not prevent official UN travel; Bensouda’s office said she would...
Prosecutor requests authorization to investigate Bangladesh/Myanmar
đź“… 4 July 2019Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda asked judges to authorize an investigation into alleged crimes against the Rohingya people, including crimes with an element on Bangladesh territory. The filing triggered a...
Prosecutor closes Iraq/UK examination without opening an investigation
đź“… 9 December 2020The Prosecutor concluded that potential cases were inadmissible because relevant UK investigations were ongoing or had been conducted, and did not open an ICC investigation. The decision became a...
ICC Prosecutor opens investigation into Palestine
📅 3 March 2021The Prosecutor opened an investigation into alleged crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza and the West Bank, since 13 June 2014. The decision...
Prosecutor seeks to resume Afghanistan investigation with narrower priorities
đź“… 27 September 2021Prosecutor Karim Khan asked judges to resume the investigation and prioritize alleged crimes by the Taliban and Islamic State in Khorasan Province. He said other aspects, including alleged crimes by...
ICC Prosecutor opens investigation into Venezuela
đź“… 3 November 2021The Prosecutor opened an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity and concluded a memorandum of understanding with the Venezuelan government. The case proceeded alongside national...
ICC Prosecutor opens Ukraine investigation after state referrals
đź“… 2 March 2022After referrals by 39 States Parties, the Prosecutor opened an investigation into alleged crimes within ICC jurisdiction in Ukraine. The rapid referrals contrasted with the slower, politically...
ICC Prosecutor announces resumed investigation in Palestine
📅 17 November 2023The Prosecutor announced that the Palestine investigation had been expanded to include alleged crimes committed since 7 October 2023. The Court’s work developed amid intense civilian suffering,...
Prosecutor applies for arrest warrants in Palestine situation
đź“… 20 May 2024Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for warrants for Israeli officials Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh. The applications alleged crimes...
ICC issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant
📅 21 November 2024The International Criminal Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The judges found reasonable...