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 warrant arrest has been issued
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ICC judges issue an arrest warrant for Sudan president
Saturday 7 February 2009 04:30. Printer-Friendly version Comments...
February 6, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — The Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will soon release a decision in which they agree to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir, Sudan Tribune has learnt.
The ruling that could be made public as early as next week will make Bashir the most senior figure to be indicted by The Hague based court.
The Pre-Trial Chamber I which is assigned the Darfur case has been reviewing an application submitted by prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo last July requesting an arrest warrant for Bashir on three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder
There was no confirmation on which counts the warrant was issued for, but one source suggested that it will include the charges of genocide, which is considered the gravest crime in international law.
Last week the ICC prosecutor sent an urgent notification to the Judges after which they met with him on Tuesday in a closed session along with the court’s Registrar Silvana Arbia along with representatives from the Victims and Witnesses Unit (VWU).
The meeting likely discussed measures taken to discuss risks associated with unsealing the warrant.
The decision, which remains under seal, will be transmitted to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon shortly according to multiple sources. The ICC prosecutor is currently present in New York.
This week Ban who was present at the African Union summit warned that Bashir must adhere to any decision made by the ICC.
“He [Bashir] should fully cooperate with the decision of the ICC” Ban told a press conference on the sidelines of the summit.
Arab, Islamic and African countries have called on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to defer the indictment to so as not to jeopardize the peace process.
The warrant may make it difficult and even embarassing for world officials to meet with Al-Bashir or to receive him on their territories.
European Union (EU) laws prohibit their officials from meeting with individuals charged by the ICC.
The UN and many other Western embassies in the Sudanese capital have created security plans aimed at protecting their staff from any possible backlash following the decision.
Sudanese officials have pledged to ensure safety of Western missions and UN staff but cautioned that they may not be able to control any outlaws.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) issued resolution 1593 under chapter VII in March 2005 referring the situation in Darfur to the ICC following recommendation a UN commission of inquiry into abuses committed in the war ravaged region.
(ST)
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Bulabek Biong
Ridhaa
Yassir Tayfour
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست