International Criminal Court – Page 6 – International Justice Resource Center

News Clips- June 17, 2016

June 17, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, children, civil society, conditions of detention, crime & impunity, discrimination, domestic courts, due process & judicial protection, economic, social & cultural rights, human rights defenders, ICTY, immigration & asylum, Inter-American System, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international human rights, labor rights, LGBTI rights, liberty & security of person, military and humanitarian intervention, regional human rights protection, right to life, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Council, UN treaty bodies, Universal system

Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) heard from civil society organizations on adherence to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by the United Kingdom, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Angola. [OHCHR Press Release] As the French government debated a new labor bill that would ease restrictions on

Documentation, Local Prosecutions Advance Accountability for War Crimes in Syria

May 12, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, civil society, domestic courts, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international human rights, international humanitarian law, internationalized criminal tribunals, right to life, torture

Germany recently began its first prosecution for alleged war crimes in Syria, joining the several States and private actors seeking accountability for atrocities committed in the ongoing conflict in Syria. [The New Arab] Despite the lack of a final peace agreement, human rights experts are encouraging State governments to take steps to bring to justice those responsible for war crimes

ICC Dismisses Case Against Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto

April 11, 2016 IJRC crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, extrajudicial executions, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, women's rights

On April 5, 2016, the International Criminal Court (ICC) terminated charges of crimes against humanity against Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto and co-accused radio broadcaster Joshua Sang due to a lack of evidence, following controversy surrounding witness testimony. [ICC Press Release] In part because of interference with witnesses and “political meddling” in the prosecution’s case, the ICC judges declined to

ICC Convicts Bemba of War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity

March 29, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, International Criminal Court, international human rights

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo of crimes against humanity and war crimes for his role as leader of a rebel group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo whose troops carried out attacks in neighboring Central African Republic (CAR), in support of that country’s former president. See ICC, Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, ICC-01/05-01/08, Judgment

International Criminal Court Authorizes Investigation of 2008 Georgia-Russia Conflict

February 3, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, International Criminal Court, international human rights, international humanitarian law, military and humanitarian intervention, right to life, torture

The International Criminal Court (ICC) last week authorized the Office of the Prosecutor to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in South Ossetia from July 1 to October 10, 2008 during the armed conflict between Georgia and Russia. [ICC Press Release] According to the ICC Prosecutor, between 13,400 and 18,500 ethnic Georgians were forcibly displaced and the ethnic Georgian

International Criminal Court Reports on Preliminary Examinations as States Parties Convene

November 18, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, crime & impunity, extrajudicial executions, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, massacres, torture, UN Security Council

On November 12, 2015, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), published her annual Report on Preliminary Examination Activities (2015), which details the preliminary examination activities conducted by her office between November 1, 2014 and October 31, 2015. These included two situations – Georgia and Honduras – in which the Office of the Prosecutor (OPT) has concluded its

On 29 September 2015, the trial in the case The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido opened before Trial Chamber VII at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, Aimé Kilolo Musamba, Jean-Jacques Mangenda Kabongo, Fidèle Babala Wandu and Narcisse Arido are accused of offences against the administration of justice in connection with witnesses' testimonies in the case of The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. Credit: ICC

ICC Initiates Witness Tampering Prosecution of Jean-Pierre Bemba & Others

October 20, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, due process & judicial protection, International Criminal Court, international humanitarian law

On September 29, 2015 the International Criminal Court (ICC) commenced its first trial concerning allegations of witness tampering, in the case of The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo et al. [ICC Press Release: Prosecutor’s Statement; The Guardian] Jean-Pierre Bemba Gomba, former Vice President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and four other defendants are charged with offenses to the

International Criminal Court Considers Investigation of 2008 South Ossetia Conflict

October 14, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, International Criminal Court, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, military and humanitarian intervention

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested authorization to investigate possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 2008 conflict in South Ossetia, a step that could lead to the eventual prosecution of individuals suspected of responsibility for directing or carrying out these crimes. [ICC Press Release: Prosecutor Requests] The Prosecutor has received information that

Committee on Enforced Disappearances Reviews Iraq and Montenegro

September 15, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, children, civil society, crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, discrimination, enforced disappearance, family, freedom of religion, ICTY, immigration & asylum, International Criminal Court, international human rights, international humanitarian law, liberty & security of person, persons with disabilities, privacy, reparations, right to life, transitional justice, UN treaty bodies

The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) is currently holding its 9th session in Geneva, Switzerland from September 7th to 18th. The CED is reviewing State reports of Iraq and Montenegro regarding their implementation of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (Convention). During the session, the CED and each State engage in dialogue

Kosovo to Create Special War Crimes Court but Faces Challenges

August 25, 2015 IJRC armed conflict, democracy & political rights, discrimination, due process & judicial protection, ICTY, International Criminal Court, international human rights, international humanitarian law, internationalized criminal tribunals, military and humanitarian intervention, right to life, security & rule of law, transitional justice

On August 3, 2015 the Kosovo Parliament passed the “Law on Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office,” a constitutional amendment that will establish a special war crimes court to prosecute former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerrillas for crimes committed during and after the Kosovo War between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2000. The court will operate under Kosovo law