For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt.
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ICC Investigations

How the ICC investigates international crimes, from preliminary examinations to full investigations in conflict zones.

From Preliminary Examination to Investigation

ICC investigations proceed in stages. A preliminary examination assesses whether the legal preconditions for investigation are met: jurisdiction, admissibility, gravity, and interests of justice. This stage can last years. Palestine was under preliminary examination from 2015 to 2021 before a full investigation was opened. Afghanistan was examined from 2007 to 2017.

Once a full investigation is authorized, the OTP deploys investigators to collect evidence, interview witnesses, and analyze documents. Given that ICC crimes typically involve large-scale violence, the evidence base is massive: satellite imagery, intercepts, forensic analysis, survivor testimony, and documentary evidence from military orders to social media posts. The OTP's challenge is assembling this evidence into cases that meet the beyond-reasonable-doubt standard required for conviction.