Follow Us:

Sudan: ICC Prosecutor to Present Evidence of Crimes in Darfur

22 Feb 2007

Dear All,

Please find below a media advisory issued by the International Criminal Court
announcing that, on Tuesday, 27 February 2007, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo
"will submit evidence, in connection with named individuals, of war crimes and
crimes against humanity in Darfur."

In addition, please find below excerpts from a Reuters article reporting on this
development, which notes that "the Darfur case was seen as a turning point for
the court."

Please take note of the Coalition's policy on situations before the ICC (below),
which explicitly states that the CICC will NOT take a position on potential or
pending situations before the Court. The Coalition, however, will continue to
provide the most up-to-date information about the ICC.

Warm Regards,
Esti Tambay
Information and Analysis Officer
Coalition for the International Criminal Court

****************************************************
A. ICC PRESS RELEASE

[Please note that the document below has been produced by the ICC. The Coalition
for the ICC distributes it as part of its mandate to keep member organizations
and individuals informed about developments related to the ICC. The document
does not reflect the views of the CICC as a whole or its individual members.]

1. International Criminal Court, Press Release, "ICC Prosecutor to Present
Evidence of Crimes in Darfur," 22 February 2007
The Hague, 22 February 2007
http://www.icc-cpi.int/press/pressreleases/225.html

"On Tuesday, 27 February, Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo will submit evidence, in
connection with named individuals, of war crimes and crimes against humanity in
Darfur. The Prosecutor will file his evidence with the ICC judges and then brief
the press. Please note the following schedule of press events:

14h00 - Press Conference, ICC Media Centre. The Prosecutor will summarise his
evidence, discussing the crimes and the named individuals, and answer questions
from journalists.

To attend the press conference, journalists must apply for media accreditation
from the ICC no later than Monday, 26 February at 12h00. (Please see
instructions below.)

Eurovision will broadcast the live press conference internationally via
satellite. Specific instructions on how to receive the transmission will be
provided in a follow-up media advisory on Monday, 26 February.

14h00 - Web-Cast of the Press Conference in English, French, and Arabic will be
available through the ICC website, www.icc-cpi.int.

15h45 - Conference Call with the Prosecutor. Journalists who cannot attend the
press conference at the Court may pose questions to the Prosecutor during a
moderated conference call. To register and receive the call-in number, please
contact public information liaison Florence Olara no later than Monday, 26
February at 12h00, [email protected], +31-70-515-8723. [...]"

****************************************************
B. MEDIA COVERAGE

1. Reuters, Emma Thomasson, "ICC to name Darfur war crimes suspects next week,"
22 February 2007
http://za.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-02-2
2T145113Z_01_BAN245045_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-SUDAN-WARCRIMES-20070222.XML

"The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor will name the first
suspects accused of committing war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region next Tuesday,
the prosecutor's office said on Thursday. Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo
said in December his investigators had found evidence of rape, torture, murder
and sexual violence in Darfur. His announcement is keenly awaited to see if he
charges government figures as well as rebels. [...]

"Moreno-Ocampo will submit evidence, in connection with named individuals, of
war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur," his office said in a
statement, adding that the prosecutor would hold a news conference at 1300 GMT
on February 27.

Once Moreno-Ocampo has filed the evidence, pre-trial judges will decide whether
to issue summons or arrest warrants for the named individuals. Formal charges
will only follow later. [...]

Moreno-Ocampo has also sought information from Khartoum on suspects the
government has arrested in relation to Darfur.

U.N. and African Union observers blame pro-government militia, known as
Janjaweed, for the worst atrocities. But Moreno-Ocampo is under pressure to
charge figures from all sides of the conflict, including rebels and government
officials. Ongoing fighting has hampered the work of ICC investigators, who have
had to interview witnesses outside Sudan. The conflict has caused one of the
world's worst humanitarian crises and spilled over to Chad and the Central
African Republic. [...]

Some analysts suggest Khartoum has resisted pressure to authorise a deployment
of thousands of U.N. peacekeepers to support a 7,000-strong African Union
mission in Darfur because it fears U.N. soldiers might be used to arrest ICC
suspects. [...]

But the Darfur case was seen as a turning point for the court as Washington
refrained from blocking the Security Council referral."

**********************************************
CICC'S POLICY ON THE REFERRAL AND PROSECUTION OF SITUATIONS BEFORE THE
ICC:

The Coalition for the ICC is not an organ of the Court. The CICC is an
independent NGO movement dedicated to the establishment of the International
Criminal Court as a fair, effective, and independent international organization.
The Coalition will continue to provide the most up-to-date information about the
ICC and to help coordinate global action to effectively implement the Rome
Statute of the ICC. The Coalition will also endeavor to respond to basic queries
and to raise awareness about the ICC's trigger mechanisms and procedures, as
they develop. The Coalition as a whole, and its secretariat, do not endorse or
promote specific investigations or prosecutions or take a position on situations
before the ICC. However, individual CICC members may endorse referrals, provide
legal and other support on investigations, or develop partnerships with local
and other organizations in the course of their efforts.

Communications to the ICC can be sent to:
ICC
P.O. Box 19519
2500 CM The Hague
The Netherlands