Originally published on the CGS blog on May 11, 2010.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is responsible for prosecuting individuals who have been charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes. Currently the crime of aggression is included in the Rome Statute of the ICC. However the Court can only prosecute aggression if the ICC’s governing body, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), amends the Statute to define the crime and sets out the conditions for the Court’s exercise of jurisdiction.
One year ago, the ICC issued a global arrest warrant for the President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir as a result of charges brought against him for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Bashir’s warrant has also caused diplomats to refuse to attend meeting if he is there and to get up from lunch tables upon his arrival; in essence many of our nations leaders avoid him at all costs. The most recent manifestation of leaders wanting to avoid Bashir has come from Paris who made it very clear that Mr. Bashir would be on the guest list for the upcoming African-French summit meeting in Nice, France. Each and every time a President or Prime Minister refuses to be in the company of Bashir, that President or Prime Minister is making a profound statement, a statement which says “we will not tolerate war crimes or crimes against humanity.” For more information, CLICK HERE.
Do you believe that war should be abolished? Do think that everyone’s rights and freedom should be protected no matter where they live? Do you want to one day live in a world where the ICC will be able to hold individuals accountable for the ‘crime of aggression’? Do you believe that it is time for justice to be served to those individuals who are survivors of one of the most heinous weapons of war, the weapon of rape? Or that the time has come to ensure that justice is bestowed upon victims of mass slaughter? If the answer is yes to any or all of these questions, then ACT NOW in Support of the International Criminal Court!
