DaysofPal- French lawyer and legal scholar Dr. Gilles Duffer passed away on Tuesday. Duffer spearheaded a coalition of human rights organizations and over 500 lawyers from around the world, bringing their case to the International Criminal Court in The Hague last November.
Duffer is regarded as the ‘maestro’ of the law behind the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court last May at the request of Attorney General Karim Khan.
The warrants target Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
On the day the warrants were issued—a milestone he had worked toward for years and considered a personal holiday—he told his son, ‘Now I can die in peace.’
Despite the relentless pain of the illness that accompanied him until his final moments, he remained determined to speak about this exceptional legal victory. He dedicated his last media statements, shared on Al Jazeera, to this achievement.
For 30 years, Gilles Duvier dedicated his efforts to the health and social sectors and the defense of minorities in France and around the world, with the Palestinian cause remaining his top priority.
Born in 1956, Gilles Duvier was a lawyer at the Lyon Bar, a former nurse, and a lecturer at the Law School of the University of Lyon 3.
He served as one of the spokespeople for a coalition of 350 NGOs, represented by 40 lawyers, tasked with submitting a request for justice to the International Criminal Court regarding war crimes committed during the Gaza War of 2008–2009. In January 2009, he was also commissioned by the Palestinian Authority to file a complaint on its behalf.
The French lawyer also filed a complaint against Israel in July 2014 regarding its war on Gaza that year. This led to a major media campaign and increased pressure on the Palestinian Authority and the International Criminal Court, resulting in Palestine’s accession to the Rome Statute.
The Humane Lawyer
International law expert Abdel Majid Merari describes Duvier as a ‘humane and principled lawyer.’ Despite the obstacles faced by the legal team and the rejection of several requests submitted to the International Criminal Court, Duvier stood out for his unwavering determination to persevere. He believed that ‘the chivalry of the Palestinian people is more important than the chivalry of lawyers.'”
“In this context, Marari—one of the lawyers closest to and most closely working with Duvier—confirmed that the French lawyer had championed the Palestinian cause long before the arrest warrants were issued. This advocacy began when Palestine became a member of the Rome Statute and continued through the issuance of the warrants on February 5, 2021. Duvier played a key role in reviewing and assisting the International Criminal Court experts in drafting the warrants.”
“These historic warrants were issued to affirm the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, which confirmed its authority over the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.”
Dr. Basem Naim, a member of the Political Bureau of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, mourned the passing of French lawyer Gilles Duvier, who died after a long battle with illness. Naim expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, emphasizing that Duvier was a steadfast supporter of oppressed peoples, particularly the Palestinian people and their just cause.
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