Tony Abbott: Australian Prime Minister Faces ICC Investigation Over Crimes Against Humanity
An Australian Member Parliament (MP), Andrew Wilkie, requested the International Court to look into prime minister Tony Abbott for crimes against humanity resulting from the detention of asylum seekers on remote Pacific Islands. Mr. Wilkie claims that Abbott’s policy was illegal and had caused major suffering to people.
His request to the court was that the prosecutors investigate whether Mr. Abbott and the members of the federal cabinet have breached the Rome Statute, which deals with crimes against the humanity, or international conventions which deal with the rights of children and refugees.
According to Mr. Wilkie, it is not illegal to come to Australia and claim asylum, and we have a fundamental obligation to hear those claims and to give those people refuge if those claims are accurate.
Mr.Abbott was elected last year after pledging to “stop the boats” and to stem the flow of asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat. Many come from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and arrive in Australia via transit camps in Indonesia.
