THE International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam dismissed Nicaragua’s plea to issue emergency orders that will stop Germany from sending weapons to Israel.
In a case filed against Germany last month, Nicaragua accused Berlin of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention by sending weapons to Israel used for its war in Gaza. The South American nation requested the top UN court to impose a series of measures against Germany such as the immediate suspension of aid and weapons deliveries to Israel.
Meanwhile, Germany’s legal team previously asked Nicaragua’s case to be dismissed due to insubstantial evidence and slammed the South American nation for failing to acknowledge the obligations of Hamas under international humanitarian law.
In a judgment read in court in The Hague, the ICJ explained that its decision to dismiss Nicaragua’s demand was largely based on the significant decrease in recent German arms sales to Israel.
One other factor considered by the court was the nature of arms recently sold to Israel which Germany said were defensive military equipment and not war weapons.
The court also rejected the necessity for Germany to continue funding the UN relief works agency as contributions are voluntary.
The top UN court’s decision earned a majority of 15 votes which involved judges from China, the United States, France, Japan, Brazil, and Mexico, to name a few, while only one judge from Iran supported Nicaragua.
Legal teams from both sides were given a chance to present their respective cases before the international court during a two-day hearing held earlier this month.
Germany was the second major supplier of weapons to Israel after the United States in 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s annual report.
