The coup leaders -- now out of power -- accused the leader of the Bolivian left and the protesters, organized by the Central Obrera Boliviana (CUT), of crimes against humanity.​

The Hague, February 16 (RHC)-- The International Criminal Court of Justice at The Hague has rejected a request by the coup government in Bolivia, which took power in 2019, to investigate former President Evo Morales and organizers of the protests that included roadblocks.  The coup leaders -- now out of power -- accused the leader of the Bolivian left and the protesters, organized by the Central Obrera Boliviana (CUT), of crimes against humanity.

The barriers came after the coup attempts to postpone the presidential elections in the country.  The government of Jeanine Anez Morales and the roadblock organizers have accused of deliberately blocking emergency medical supplies from reaching hospitals, claiming that 40 coronavirus patients have died as a result of demonstrations against abuses by the coup plotters.

The Public Prosecutor at the Court of The Hague, Karim Khan, said he would not open a formal investigation as the matter did not fall within the jurisdiction of the Court of The Hague. 

“The criteria set out in the Rome Statute to open an investigation have not been met,” Khan said in a statement. “The alleged behavior does not meet the contextual elements of crimes against humanity,” he added.