The Attorney General from The Hague: New Judicial Partnerships Reinforce the Status of the State of Palestine in the International Criminal Justice Cooperation System

SadaNews: Attorney General Akrim Al-Khatib participated in the 7th Euro-Mediterranean Forum of Public Prosecutors, hosted by the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) in The Hague. The forum brought together public prosecutors and heads of prosecution agencies from EU countries and Southern Mediterranean countries to enhance strategic and operational judicial cooperation, build trust among prosecution authorities, and develop direct communication channels to combat organized and cross-border crime.

In his speech at the forum, the Attorney General emphasized that the rapid evolution of crime patterns, particularly cybercrime and organized cross-border crime, necessitates strengthening international judicial cooperation as a practical necessity to protect justice and the rule of law. He added: "Building trust among prosecution agencies is the real investment in the future of international judicial cooperation. Every direct communication and early coordination, before sending requests for mutual legal assistance and during their follow-up, contributes to improving the quality of requests, speeding up procedures, and enhancing the exchange of evidence, thereby reflecting on the efficiency of investigations and achieving justice."

On the sidelines of the forum, the Attorney General held a series of high-level meetings, starting with a meeting with Eurojust President, Michael Schmid, where the two sides discussed ways to develop institutional cooperation and enhance direct coordination channels in international criminal cases. The Attorney General also outlined the current situation of the public prosecution amidst the challenges it faces, including a recent assault on four members of the prosecution while performing their duties. The Eurojust President condemned this assault, affirming the importance of ensuring the safety of public prosecution members and preserving their independence as a fundamental cornerstone of the rule of law.

The Attorney General also held a meeting with Sweden's Attorney General, Katarina Johansson Whelin, continuing a series of technical meetings conducted by specialists from both institutions over the past period. They agreed to translate this cooperation into practical steps, starting with a joint workshop next November focusing on digital assets, their tracking, and recovery, which will contribute to exchanging expertise, building capacities, and enhancing institutional cooperation between the two sides.

In the context of activating the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Palestinian public prosecution and its Spanish counterpart, the Attorney General discussed with the Deputy Head of Eurojust and Spain’s national member, José de la Mata Amaya, the joint work program for the upcoming phase, particularly in combating organized crime, cybercrime, and digital evidence, enhancing direct communication among specialists to expedite judicial cooperation procedures, exchange expertise, and develop mechanisms for joint work.

The Attorney General achieved a new milestone by joining the SIRIUS program, one of the prominent European platforms specialized in supporting public prosecution authorities and law enforcement in accessing electronic evidence from digital service providers. This enhances the public prosecution's ability to handle digital evidence in cross-border cases and opens new horizons for cooperation with digital service providers within the framework of established international legal norms.

The Attorney General also held separate meetings with the heads and members of delegations from the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Libya, and the Kingdom of Morocco, discussing ways to develop bilateral judicial cooperation, enhance coordination in mutual legal assistance, combat organized crime, and exchange experiences, which supports the establishment of a more effective regional cooperation network among public prosecution authorities.

The bilateral meetings held by the Attorney General were a reflection of the main objectives of the forum, which are to build trust among public prosecution authorities, enhance direct communication channels, and develop judicial cooperation at both the strategic and operational levels, contributing to expedite mutual legal assistance procedures and improve the efficiency of information and evidence exchange, achieving a more effective response to cross-border organized crime.

The Attorney General and the accompanying delegation concluded their visit with a meeting with the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Amar Hijazi, and the embassy staff, where the results of participation in the forum and the agreements and future cooperation steps that emerged from the bilateral meetings were reviewed. Both sides emphasized the importance of synergy between Palestinian diplomacy and judicial diplomacy in enhancing the presence of the State of Palestine in international forums, solidifying its status as a reliable partner in the international judicial cooperation system, and building on the outcomes of this participation to transform it into practical cooperation programs that serve national interests and strengthen the rule of law.