Rights lawyers seek ICC probe into Turkey crimes

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Human rights lawyers have called on the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into alleged crimes they say were committed by Turkish authorities against thousands of opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Former Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Johan Vande Lanotte unveiled details Wednesday of a 4,000-page dossier sent to the court’s prosecution office last month seeking a probe into allegations of crimes against humanity. The prosecution office receives hundreds such submissions each year from around the world and they rarely lead to an investigation. Lawyers say that crimes with some 1,300 victims could be prosecuted by the Hague-based court because they were allegedly committed in states that are members of the court. Turkey is not an ICC member state.