- Title: Under fire, ICC prosecutor says to uphold fight against atrocities
- Date: 23rd November 2016
- Summary: VOLUNTEERS COVERING BODIES WITH SHEETS BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI (FILE - AUGUST 20, 2015) (REUTERS) BURUNDI PRESIDENT PIERRE NKURUNZIZA WALKING TO PODIUM TO BE SWORN-IN FOR A THIRD TERM NKURUNZIZA SWEARING IN AS PRESIDENT
- Embargoed: 8th December 2016 17:00
- Keywords: human rights Burundi Philippines court Fatou Bensouda International Criminal Court
- Location: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS/ BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI
- City: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS/ BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI
- Country: Netherlands
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA00559O2FRB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said her investigations into alleged war crimes would not be impacted by the plans of three African countries to withdraw from the court and she would keep going after the perpetrators of atrocities.
Fatou Bensouda said her office would press ahead with the preliminary investigation in Burundi and her work had the support of more than 120 other member states.
Gambia, South Africa and Burundi notified the United Nations in October and November of their plans to withdraw from the ICC. The withdrawals become effective one year after the notification is filed.
To date, all but one of the court's 10 investigations have been in Africa and its five convicted suspects are from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Mali.
The ICC rejects allegations of bias against African nations, arguing many of the cases were brought by African governments themselves and that it has 10 preliminary inquiries or investigations into alleged atrocities in Afghanistan, Colombia, Georgia, Iraq, the Palestinian Territories and Ukraine.
Bensouda, a Gambian former justice minister, said the court began its work in 2002 with overwhelming African support and that African countries had requested the ICC's intervention.
"Even if one country decides to withdraw from the ICC, this I believe, for the continent, speaking as an African, is a setback for the continent and this is also a regression for the continent," she said.
Russia, which is not a member of the court but signed its founding Rome Statute, said this month it would remove its signature and the Philippines is considering withdrawing its membership.
"Of course it is very surprising, because Russia is not a State party...so for Russia to say that they are withdrawing - it's really very difficult to understand, but maybe they have the reasons for saying that," Bensouda said.
Bensouda countered concerns of a mass departure of member states and said all other states had renewed their commitment to the court, which has a mandate to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The ICC is a court of last resort, only intervening in member countries when national jurisdictions are unable or unwilling to prosecute mass atrocities.
Bensouda launched a preliminary investigation in Burundi in April after political violence, sparked after the re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza, killed hundreds of people and forced hundreds of thousands to flee abroad.
"We will continue to do our work with respect to what we have started in Burundi," she said, saying its obligations under the Rome Statute remained until the one-year notification period ended.
If, during that time, prosecutors determine that crimes must be formally investigated, Burundi would be obligated to cooperate with the court, she said.
In the Philippines, which joined the court in 2011, the prosecutor warned in October that the extrajudicial killing of thousands of alleged drug users and dealers could constitute crimes that fall under her jurisdiction. The allegations are not the subject of a preliminary investigation, the first legal step toward a prosecution.
"It is important as prosecutor for the ICC, to raise concerns and it is also important that I don't look away from this because this is exactly why this court was established by State parties," Bensouda said. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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