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3 months ago in International Law By Suma

Can a state claim national security to refuse the icc—and still claim to support international justice?

A state says it supports the ICC as a symbol of justice, but then refuses to hand over evidence citing national security. Is this just hypocrisy, or is there a legal way to do this in good faith?

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By Suresh Answered 1 month ago

There is a legal path, but it requires transparency and proportionality. Under Article 93(4) of the Rome Statute, a state can deny a cooperation request if it involves national security information but it must do so formally, with specific justification, not as a blanket excuse. Good faith practice includes: 1) Invoking the article explicitly, 2) Offering alternative forms of cooperation (redacted documents, summaries, closed hearings), and 3) Allowing ICC judicial review of the denial. The problem isn't invoking national security. It's invoking it opaquely, arbitrarily, or as a complete shield.

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