Encyclopedia > Cases before the International Criminal Court
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Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. | Current cases before the International Criminal Court include three situations where the Chief Prosecutor has opened an official investigation, one other referral that has been received from a state and a number of complaints received from individuals. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
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Official logo of the ICC. The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as defined by several international agreements, most prominently the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. ...
The court was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for serious crimes that were committed after the date of establishment. The prosecutor can open a case where it has sufficient basis to suspect that war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide have been committed in the territory of a member-country, by a national of a member-country, or in a situation that has been referred to the court by the United Nations Security Council or a state. The United Nations Security Council (Arabic:مجلس الأمن الأمم المتØدة; Chinese: è”åˆå›½å®‰å…¨ç†äº‹ä¼š; French: Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies; Russian: Совет БезопаÑноÑти Организации Объединённых Ðаций; Spanish: Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas) is the most powerful organ of the United Nations (UN). ...
Arrests made
Democratic Republic of Congo
On 2004-04-19 the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a state party of the court referred itself to the court. On June 23 the Chief Prosecutor decided to open an investigation into the matter and on 4 July the case was allocated to Pre-Trial Chamber I. It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in...
April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ...
June 23 is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 191 days remaining. ...
July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ...
In February 2005 the Unted Nations Secretary General listed [1] nine parties to the civil war as using child soldiers or committing war crimes against children:
On 2006-03-17 Thomas Lubanga, former leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots militia in Ituri, became the first person to be arrested under a warrant issued by the court; he will be the first suspect to face trial at the ICC [2]. A sealed (secret) warrant had been issued for his arrest on 2006-02-10 for the war crime of using child soldiers. He was flown to the court the same day in a French military aircraft.[1] The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda was the primary anti-Rwanda rebel group during the latter part of the Second Congo War. ...
The Nationalist and Integrationist Front (FNI) is a militia group comprised of ethnic Lendu active in the Ituri region of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...
Mai-Mai, also known as Mayi-Mayi, is a general term referring to a broad variety of Congolese militia groups active in the Second Congo War currently taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ...
This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
Maniema is a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. ...
Capital Lubumbashi Created June 1960 Dissolved January 1963 Demonym Katangan Currency Katanga franc Katanga is the southern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, regional capital Lubumbashi (formerly Elizabethville). ...
The Union of Congolese Patriots (French: Union des Patriotes Congolais, UPC) is an armed group in Ituri, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...
Thomas Lubanga Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was the founder and leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), an armed militia in Ituri, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ...
Thomas Lubanga Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was the founder and leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), an armed militia in Ituri, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ...
The Union of Congolese Patriots (French: Union des Patriotes Congolais, UPC) is an armed group in Ituri, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
A war crime is a punishable offense, under international law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ...
The Congolese Vice-President, Jean-Pierre Bemba is among those thought to be being investigated by the court - in his case the allegations include cannabalism against Pygmies by Bemba's militia. [3] Jean-Pierre Bemba (4 November 1962) is one of four vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ...
Generally speaking, pygmy (from Greek pygmaios, fist sized, a kind of dwarf in Greek mythology) can refer to any human or animal of unusually small size, for example, the pygmy hippopotamus. ...
Public indictments issued
Uganda, a 'state party' of the court referred the above situation to the court on January 29, 2004. The Chief Prosecutor decided to open an investigation into this matter on July 29 and on July 5 the situation was assigned to Pre-Trial Chamber II The conflict forces many civilians to live in internally displaced person (IDP) camps. ...
January 29 is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in...
July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ...
July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ...
In February 2005 the Unted Nations Secretary General said [4] the Lord's Resistance Army, government soldiers and government-organised Local Defense Units had all committed crimes against children, and the LRA was a serious violator.
On October 14, 2005 the ICC issued its first public arrest warrants for five senior leaders of the Lord's Resistance Army alleging: October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The conflict forces many civilians to live in internally displaced person (IDP) camps. ...
- Leader Joseph Kony committed the Crimes against Humanity of murder, enslavement, sexual enslavement, rape and serious bodily injury and the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment of civilians, attacking civilians, pillage, inducing rape and and enlisting child soldiers
- Kony's deputy, Vincent Otti, committed the crimes against humanity of murder, sexual enslavement and serious bodily injury and the war crimes of inducing rape, attacking civilians, enlisting child soldiers, cruel treatment of civilians, pillage and murder
- Army Commander of the LRA, Okot Odiambo committed the crime against humanity of enslavement and war crimes of attacking civilians, pillage and enlisting child soldiers; Odiambo reportedly led an attack on Barlonya refugee camp in February 2004 when more than 300 people were massacred.
- LRA commander Raska Lukwiya committed the crime against humanity of enslavement and the war crimes of cruel treatment of civilians, attacking civilians and pillage
- LRA commander Dominic Ongwen committed the crimes against humanity of murder, enslavement and serious bodily injury and the war crimes of murder, crual treatment of civilians, attacking civilians and pillage.
None of the indictees have yet been arrested, and they are belived to be either in Southern Sudan or Northern DRC. Ongwen died in 2005 during hostilities with the Ugandan army. Joseph Kony Joseph Kony (born 1961 in Odek, northern Uganda) is the primary leader of a guerrilla paramilitary group,(and possibly new religious movement),called the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), engaged in a violent campaign to establish a theocratic government in Uganda purportedly based on the Bible and the...
A war crime is a punishable offense, under international law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ...
Investigations commenced
On 2005-03-31, the United Nations Security Council referred the situation in Darfur, Sudan to the court. The Chief Prosecutor opened the investigation into this matter on June 6 and the case has been allocated to Pre-Trial Chamber I Darfur (Arabic دار Ùور, meaning home of the Fur) is a region of far western Sudan, bordering the Central African Republic, Libya, and Chad. ...
2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ...
The United Nations Security Council (Arabic:مجلس الأمن الأمم المتØدة; Chinese: è”åˆå›½å®‰å…¨ç†äº‹ä¼š; French: Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies; Russian: Совет БезопаÑноÑти Организации Объединённых Ðаций; Spanish: Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas) is the most powerful organ of the United Nations (UN). ...
Darfur (Arabic دار Ùور, meaning home of the Fur) is a region of far western Sudan, bordering the Central African Republic, Libya, and Chad. ...
June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ...
Other referrals
The Central African Republic The Central African Republic referred itself to the court on January 6, 2005. The case has been allocated to Pre-Trial Chamber III January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Local activists from the Union of Central African Journalists (UJCA) have accused the President, François Bozizé, of committing genocide against the inhabitants of northern Central African Republic - who supported the former regime - after seizing power in 2003. [5] François Bozizé Yangouvonda (born October 14, 1946) is the current President of the Central African Republic. ...
The Chief Prosecutor has not yet formally decided to open an investigation into this matter.
Cote d'Ivoire Cote d'Ivoire, which is not a member of the court, was reported in 2003 to have referred itself to the court to investigate various crimes committed during the Ivorian Civil War. However, the court has not received a formal referral from the government and as a non-member can only take jurisdiction with either the state's consent or a referral from the Security Council. 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Armed insurgents French troops try to separate the belligerents. ...
Other complaints received
Georgia A complaint has been received alleging that ethnic cleansing has been carried out by the Abkhazian government (legally part of Georgia, a member-country of the court) against ethnic Georgians. [6] The Georgian state Minister for Conflict Resolution agreed that "human rights violations as well as crimes against humanity committed during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict are difficult to dispute". The court has stated in a letter to the complainant that an investigation committee started looking into the case in 2004 and requesting further information. However a formal investigation has not yet been opened. Abkhaz or Abkhazian can refer to: The Abkhaz people The Abkhaz language Of or pertaining to Abkhazia This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ...
Burundi In February 2005 the Unted Nations Secretary General said [7] that three parties to the civil war in Burundi (a member-country of the court) were using child soldiers or committing war crimes against children: - The Parti de libération du peuple hutu-Forces nationales de libération (PALIPEHUTU-FNL) of Agathon Rwasa, which was responsible for serious violations including the killing and maiming of children and attacking schools
- The National Council for the Defense of Democracy of Leonard Nyangoma
- The National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy of the current President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza
The Chief Prosecutor has not announced whether he will formally decided to open an investigation into this matter. The National Council for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD) (Conseil National Pour la Défense de la Démocratie) is a former ethnic Hutu rebel group that now functions as a political party in Burundi. ...
The National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy (NCDD–FDD) was the most significant rebel group active in the Burundi Civil War and became a major political party in Burundi. ...
List of Rulers and Heads of State of Burundi (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office) Kingdom of Burundi Republic of Burundi Affiliations:- See also:- Burundi Heads of Government of Burundi Colonial Heads of Burundi Colonial Heads of Burundi (Urundi) Colonial Heads of Burundi (Ruanda-Urundi) Lists of...
Pierre Nkurunziza is elected President of Burundi on August 19, 2005. ...
Colombia In February 2005 the Unted Nations Secretary General said [8] that three parties to the civil war in Colombia (a member-country of the court, but which has temporarily opted out of war crimes jurisdiction) were using child soldiers or committing war crimes against children: The Chief Prosecutor has not announced whether he will formally decided to open an investigation into this matter. Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia, AUC) was formed in April 1997 as an umbrella paramilitary organization to consolidate most local and regional paramilitary groups in Colombia, each with the mission to protect local economic, social and political interests by fighting insurgents in their areas. ...
Ejército de Liberación Nacional (usually abbreviated to ELN), or National Liberation Army, is a revolutionary, Marxist, insurgent guerrilla group that has been operating in several regions of Colombia since 1964. ...
The FARC-EPs flag The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – Peoples Army, or FARC-EP) is an internationally recognized terrorist group established in 1964-1966 as the military wing of the Colombian Communist Party, and is Colombias oldest...
Alleged war crimes in connection with Invasion of Iraq in March 2003 - Main article: The International Criminal Court and the 2003 invasion of Iraq
In March 2003, the United States and its allies, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq. The UK, Australia and Poland are all parties to the ICC Statute and therefore their nationals are liable to prosecution by the court for any relevant crimes. As the United States is not a party, American citizens can only be prosecuted by the court if the crime takes place in the territory of a state party (e.g. Jordan), or if the situation is referred to it by the Security Council. In March 2003, the United States and its allies, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq. ...
Combatants Coalition Forces (United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Poland) Iraq Commanders Tommy Franks Saddam Hussein Strength 263,000 375,000 The 2003 Invasion of Iraq began on March 20 and consisted mainly of United States and United Kingdom forces. ...
The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court reported in February 2006, that it had received 240 communications in connection with the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 which alleged that various war crimes had been committed. Many of these complaints concerned the British participation in the invasion, as well as the alleged responsibility for torture deaths whilst in detention in British-controlled areas.[2]
On 2006-02-09, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, published a letter [9] that he had sent to all those who had communicated with him concerning the above, which set out his conclusions on these matters, following a preliminary investigation of the complaints. He explained in his decision letter, that essentially two sets of complaints were involved. 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
- Complaints concerning the legality of the invasion itself;
- Complaints concerning the conduct of hostilities between March and May 2003, which included allegations in respect of
- the targeting of civilians or clearly excessive attacks;
- wilful killing or inhuman treatment of civilians.
The Prosecutor's conclusions were as follows: - He did not have authority to consider the complaint about the legality of the invasion. Although the ICC Statute includes the crime of "aggression", it indicates that the Court may not exercise jurisdiction over the crime until a provision has been adopted which defines the crime and sets out the conditions under which the Court may exercise jurisdiction with respect to it.
- The available information did not provide sufficient evidence for proceeding with an investigation of the complaints in connection with targeting of civilians or clearly excessive attacks.
- The available information did provide a reasonable basis for believing that there had been an estimated 4 to 12 victims of wilful killing and a limited number of victims of inhuman treatment, totaling in all less than 20 persons. However this on its own was not sufficient for the initiation of an investigation by the ICC because the Statute requires consideration of admissibility before the Court, in light of the gravity of the crimes. Bearing in mind that a key consideration in this regard is the number of victims of particularly serious crimes, he concluded that the situation did not appear to meet the "gravity" threshold.
Alleged Iranian incitement to genocide The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported that the European Jewish Congress is to file a complaint with the ICC against Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, alleging his call for Israel to be "wiped from the map" amounted to incitement to genocide.[10] Haaretz (Hebrew: (help· info), The Land) is an Israeli newspaper, founded in 1919. ...
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also written Ahmadinezhad, (Persian: Ù…Øمود اØمدی‌نژاد ; born October 28, 1956), is the sixth president of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ...
As Iran is not a state party to the ICC, the complaint would require a referral from the United Nations Security Council in order for the court to have jurisdiction. The United Nations Security Council (Arabic:مجلس الأمن الأمم المتØدة; Chinese: è”åˆå›½å®‰å…¨ç†äº‹ä¼š; French: Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies; Russian: Совет БезопаÑноÑти Организации Объединённых Ðаций; Spanish: Consejo de Seguridad de Naciones Unidas) is the most powerful organ of the United Nations (UN). ...
Venezuela On April 11, 2002 clashes between supporters and opponents of Presıdent Hugo Chávez during an attempted coup lead to complaınts that Chávez committed crimes against humanity. In February 2006, the court Prosecutor, concluded that, thus far, the requirements to continue the investigation have not been satisfied according to the Rome Statute. [11] Hugo Rafael Chávez FrÃas (IPA: ; born July 28, 1954) is the 53rd[1] and current President of Venezuela. ...
Hugo Chávez, surrounded by resolute supporters, makes a dramatic return to power on April 13, 2002 after the collapse of the first Latin American coup of the 21st century. ...
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