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Germany seeks to dismiss Nicaragua’s Gaza genocide case at top UN court

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency In the courts
  • Germany begins four days of hearings Monday at the International Court of Justice, seeking to dismiss Nicaragua’s case over Berlin’s support for Israel during the Gaza war.
  • Nicaragua accuses Germany of facilitating genocide and has challenged its military assistance to Israel, while Germany says the case is biased and denies violating the Genocide Convention.
  • The court could dismiss the case or allow it to proceed to a full examination of the claims, with a ruling typically taking about six months.

Germany will ask the International Court of Justice on Monday to throw out Nicaragua’s case accusing Berlin of “facilitating genocide” through its support for Israel. The request opens four days of hearings at the UN’s top court in The Hague.

facilitating genocide

· NicaraguaNicaragua’s central accusation against Germany in the case before the International Court of Justice.

Nicaragua brought the case in 2024 after Israel began its offensive in Gaza. It asked the court to impose emergency measures requiring Germany to halt assistance to Israel, particularly military equipment. The court rejected that request in April 2024, saying that “the circumstances, as they now present themselves” did not justify emergency orders. The broader case remains active.

Germany has filed preliminary objections challenging the court’s jurisdiction and the admissibility of some of Nicaragua’s claims. Berlin is seeking either to persuade the judges that they lack authority to hear the case or to show that Nicaragua’s arguments do not withstand scrutiny. The details of Germany’s legal case have not yet been made public.

the circumstances, as they now present themselves

· International Court of JusticeThe wording used by the court when rejecting Nicaragua’s request for emergency measures in 2024.

Germany will present its arguments Monday, followed by Nicaragua’s response. Both countries will then have another opportunity to address the judges on Wednesday and Thursday. The court generally takes an average of six months to rule on such preliminary issues. It could dismiss the case entirely or allow it to proceed to a detailed examination of the merits.

Germany seems not to be able to differentiate between self-defense and genocide.

· Carlos Jose Arguello GomezNicaragua’s ambassador to the Netherlands made the accusation during earlier ICJ hearings.

At earlier hearings, Nicaragua’s ambassador to the Netherlands, Carlos Jose Arguello Gomez, said, “Germany seems not to be able to differentiate between self-defense and genocide.” Germany called Nicaragua’s case “grossly biased” and rejected the accusation that it had breached the 1948 Genocide Convention. Berlin has said Israel’s security is “at the core” of its foreign policy because of Germany’s Nazi past, and that arms exports to Israel undergo scrutiny that “far exceeds the requirements of international law.”

grossly biased

· GermanyGermany’s description of Nicaragua’s case during the 2024 hearings.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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