The former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) called on the United States to grant Sudan’s fugitive president Omar al-Bashir a visa to entry the country for an upcoming United Nations summit and then arrest him on arrival.
Writing in the New York Times, Luis Moreno-Ocampo who was chief prosecutor at the ICC until 2012 said, “ICC judges issued arrest warrants in 2009 against Mr Bashir for crimes against humanity and war crimes and in 2010 for genocide. The challenge now is to arrest him.”
Mr Moreno-Ocampo continued to say that:
“Sadly, Mr Bashir’s ability to commit atrocities in full sight of the international community has kept ahead of humanity’s ability to protect genocide victims. Rape and hunger are his new silent weapons, replacing open attacks on villages. To avoid the international spotlight, the Sudanese government expels aid workers and denies access to refugee camps. Mr Bashir has tried to shift attention from his criminal actions by making the argument that the ICC is biased against Africans.”
He pointed to difficulties in arresting the wanted president, highlighting the failure of the South African government to arrest Mr Bashir earlier this year.
“Contrary to conventional wisdom, the United States doesn’t have to let Mr Bashir in,” said Mr Moreno-Ocampo. If it does, it should arrest him when he arrives. Under the Nuremberg Charter, the genocide convention and the ICC statute, there is no immunity for heads of state who face charges before international tribunals.”
The piece, entitled “Let Sudan’s President Come to New York. Then Arrest Him.”, concluded by saying,
“(US President) Mr Obama has a political choice. The United States should grant Mr Bashir his visa, and then, upon his arrival, arrest and surrender him to the ICC, where he could present any legal arguments he wishes about innocence, immunity or alleged prosecutorial bias. This would represent an important stand. The United States should do everything it can to isolate Mr Bashir and express its solidarity with the people of Darfur and its commitment to prevent and punish genocide.
See the full piece here.
Writing in the New York Times, Luis Moreno-Ocampo who was chief prosecutor at the ICC until 2012 said, “ICC judges issued arrest warrants in 2009 against Mr Bashir for crimes against humanity and war crimes and in 2010 for genocide. The challenge now is to arrest him.”
Mr Moreno-Ocampo continued to say that:
“Sadly, Mr Bashir’s ability to commit atrocities in full sight of the international community has kept ahead of humanity’s ability to protect genocide victims. Rape and hunger are his new silent weapons, replacing open attacks on villages. To avoid the international spotlight, the Sudanese government expels aid workers and denies access to refugee camps. Mr Bashir has tried to shift attention from his criminal actions by making the argument that the ICC is biased against Africans.”
He pointed to difficulties in arresting the wanted president, highlighting the failure of the South African government to arrest Mr Bashir earlier this year.
“Contrary to conventional wisdom, the United States doesn’t have to let Mr Bashir in,” said Mr Moreno-Ocampo. If it does, it should arrest him when he arrives. Under the Nuremberg Charter, the genocide convention and the ICC statute, there is no immunity for heads of state who face charges before international tribunals.”
The piece, entitled “Let Sudan’s President Come to New York. Then Arrest Him.”, concluded by saying,
“(US President) Mr Obama has a political choice. The United States should grant Mr Bashir his visa, and then, upon his arrival, arrest and surrender him to the ICC, where he could present any legal arguments he wishes about innocence, immunity or alleged prosecutorial bias. This would represent an important stand. The United States should do everything it can to isolate Mr Bashir and express its solidarity with the people of Darfur and its commitment to prevent and punish genocide.
See the full piece here.