On November 23 and 24, four individuals were arrested on charges of corruptly influencing witnesses in the International Criminal Court (ICC) case of The Prosecutor v. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo (ICC-01/05-01/08). [ICC Press Release: Bemba Case] The accused, together with Jean-Pierre Bemba, are alleged to have procured false evidence and testimony in Mr. Bemba’s trial on charges of crimes against humanity
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African Union Expresses Opposition to International Criminal Court Prosecutions and Seeks Postponement of Kenyatta Trial
On October 11 and 12, the African Union held an Extraordinary Summit on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss concerns regarding the ICC’s treatment of African cases and the upcoming trial of Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta. [AU]
Read moreUN Commission of Inquiry Hears Compelling Witness Testimony in Hearings on Human Rights Conditions in North Korea
The curtain of secrecy enshrouding one of the world’s most isolationist States, North Korea, is being partially lifted this week through the testimony of more than 30 witnesses, including several who have fled the country, at public hearings held by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Yesterday, survivors of North Korean prison
Read moreICC Prosecutor Withdraws Charges against Muthaura: Background and Implications for Kenya Cases
In a written and video statement made public on Monday, March 11, 2013, International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced she would be withdrawing all charges against Francis Muthaura arising out of Kenya’s 2007 and 2008 post-election violence. Muthaura, Kenya’s former civil service chief, was accused of committing crimes against humanity, including murder and rape. Bensouda’s decision marks the first time charges have been withdrawn
Read moreMali Conflict: Concerns Persist for Protection of Human Rights, Displaced Populations, Minority Groups
The West African nation of Mali, previously hailed as a democratic model for other regional governments, has become engulfed in a human rights and political crisis that is now the target of international attention and military intervention. Government and foreign forces are attempting to reclaim territory from separatist rebel groups, while the International Criminal Court and UN and African human rights
Read moreICC Turns Ten: May 11 Conference to Assess Impact, Challenges Ahead for Criminal Court
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute and the creation of the International Criminal Court. An upcoming conference, ICC Turns Ten: Reviewing the Past, Assessing the Future, will gather a number of leading scholars and practitioners to examine the impact of the ICC’s first decade and discuss the challenges ahead. The conference will be
Read moreKwoyelo Amnesty Raises Questions about Ugandan Justice
In Uganda, amnesty for an alleged Lord’s Resistance Army commander, Thomas Kwoyelo, by the country’s High Court has raised questions regarding the future of transitional justice there. Kwoyelo had been the first person charged by the International Crimes Division of the High Court for murder and other acts allegedly committed during nearly two decades of attacks by LRA forces on civilians
Read moreICC Approves Investigation into 2010 Election Violence in Côte d'Ivoire
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has authorized the ICC prosecutor to pursue an investigation into crimes committed during post-election violence in Côte d’Ivoire, from November 28, 2010 onward. [ICC] Although not a party to the Rome Statute, Côte d’Ivoire submitted a declaration accepting the ICC’s jurisdiction as to events occurring after September 19, 2002. The ICC judges have instructed the prosecutor to
Read morePressure on Libya to Comply with AfCHPR's Provisional Measures to Protect Civilians
Late last month, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights issued an order for provisional measures, directing the Libyan government to “immediately refrain from any action that would result in loss of life or violation of physical integrity of persons”, in response to Application No. 004/2011 from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Human Rights Watch,
Read moreNews Clips – October 25, 2010
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights begins holding hearings today in its 140th Period of Sessions. Issues to be discussed today include the Situation of Environmentalists in Mesoamerica, and Discrimination against the Transsexual, Transgender, and Transvestite Population in Brazil. See the week’s schedule of hearings here. Webcast of some hearings is available here. The role of humanitarian aid in contributing
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