Justice Julia Sebutinde, Vice President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). (File Photo)
The Arab Organization for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) has called for the immediate removal of Judge Julia Sebutinde, Vice-President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing her of compromising judicial integrity by publicly endorsing Israel amid its ongoing genocide in Gaza.
In a letter submitted to the judges of the ICJ on Tuesday, AOHR UK accused Sebutinde of breaching Articles 2 and 18 of the court’s statute.
Article 2 requires judges to uphold integrity, impartiality, and independence, while Article 18 stipulates that any judge who breaches these duties must be removed.
The organization argued that Sebutinde’s conduct, including her public statements, reflects a clear abandonment of these principles, while promoting “religious ideas” that encourage Israel in its ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The organization highlighted Sebutinde’s remarks on August 10, 2025, during a church speech in Uganda, where she declared, “The Lord relies on me to stand with Israel,” and that the signs of the “end times” are being shown in West Asia.
The group highlighted Sebutinde’s dissenting opinion in the ICJ’s provisional measures order in the Gaza genocide case, in which she opposed all humanitarian measures, as well as her dissent from the Court’s Advisory Opinion of July 19, 2024.
AOHR UK said her dissent revealed support for Israel’s occupation, denial of Palestine’s existence, and rejection of Palestinian identity through biblical interpretations.
According to AOHR UK, Sebutinde’s reasoning grants Israel fictitious rights and confers false legitimacy on its crimes against Palestinians.
“Such reasoning not only contradicts the foundations of international law but also emboldens the continuation of genocide, undermining the very principles upon which the Court’s authority rests,” the letter stated.
The organisation stressed that Sebutinde’s views echoed leaders such as Israeli prime minister Netanyahu, right-wing ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Bezalel Smotrich, who for over 22 months have justified killing, displacement, and starvation by invoking “biblical and Talmudic narratives.”
The group urged states, international organization, scholars, and legal professionals to pressure ICJ judges into removing Sebutinde.
It argued that this step is essential to protect the Court’s integrity, impartiality, and independence from political and religious influence.
AOHR UK further noted that Israel acts as if it is above the law, emboldened by colonial support from Western powers, particularly the United States, which shields its actions in violation of international norms.
Israel began its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance group Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in response to Israel’s escalating campaign of devastation and violence against Palestinians.
Since then, Israel’s attacks have killed more than 62,064 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Israel faces a genocide case at the ICJ for its war on Gaza.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former war minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
