IJCentral is a resource, developed by Skylight Pictures, for concerned citizens around the world who want an effective International Criminal Court to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. As the IJCentral network builds, our collective voice will become a way to press political leaders to fulfill the mandate of the ICC.
The Kenyan government has lost its application challenging the admissibility of the post election violence cases that are currently ongoing at the International Criminal Court. The application had been filed by Attorney General Amos Wako. Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber while throwing out the Kenya’s application said the post election violence cases were properly before court. The ruling effectively dashes hopes of the 6 post election violence suspects of having the cases against them tried through a local mechanism.
The International Criminal Court is accusing the Kenyan government of back peddling on its commitment to have suspected masterminds of the post election violence face trial. ICC’s chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo now wants the government to restate its commitment to the process and guarantee protection for witnesses, especially in light of him having been compelled to disclose all the evidence he intends to use against the suspects.
Our very own blogger Jesse Loncraine makes an appearance at the 27min mark. Go Jesse.
This programme was broadcast on BBC World News on 20 May 2011. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court answered your questions ranging from the calls for an arrest warrant for Colonal Gaddafi to his plans to carry out an investigation in Ivory Coast and everything in between.
Erna Paris’ new book is “The Sun Climbs Slow: Justice in the Age of Imperial America”, describes the new age of international law and the birth of the International Criminal Court, whose mission is prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, Paris also writes about the Bush administration’s opposition to the ICC.
(Original air date April 2008)
For a long time, making compromises on justice with powerful perpetrators of mass atrocities has been an integral part of peace negotiations ending conflicts. The immediate concern of ending the violence often resulted in amnesties for war crimes and crimes against humanity, sometimes even presenting the calls for justice as obstacles to peace.
However in recent years, there has been a marked shift away from the practice of providing immunity from prosecution to those responsible for mass atrocity. This has paralleled a growing understanding that the two goals of peace and justice, rather than being exclusive, are mutually reinforcing. Peace, when understood as enduring and long-term peace, goes beyond the immediate goal of ending a conflict and relies on justice and accountability to ensure sustainability. Where mass crimes are not addressed, when the root causes of conflict are not sought out and removed, when victims’ calls for justice are not heard, the danger of violence recurring remains high.
This ICTJ video explores the relationship between peace and justice as mutually reinforcing goals. ICTJ President David Tolbert and other ICTJ experts speak alongside former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan; Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier from Sierra Leone; and human rights activists from Kenya, Indonesia and Colombia on the role of justice in sustaining peace, ensuring non-repetition and reinstating respect for the rule of law.
On Monday 16 May 2011, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno-Ocampo, held a press conference on the situation in Libya.
The Prosecutor announced his findings following the ongoing investigations of crimes allegedly committed since 15 February 2011 in the situation in Libya.
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented the results of his investigation to the Security Council—saying he would seek criminal indictments against three individuals associated with crimes against humanity in Libya.
The U.S. State Department’s annual report on human rights expressed hope Friday that the protests against authoritarian rule sweeping the Middle East will yield sustainable democracies in the region.
On 7 April 2011, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) set the date of the beginning of the confirmation of charges hearing in the case of The Prosecutor v. William Samoei Ruto, Henry Kiprono Kosgey and Joshua Arap Sang for 1 September 2011.
This decision was announced at the initial appearance of William Samoei Ruto, Henry Kiprono Kosgey and Joshua Arap Sang before the ICC. During this hearing, in the presence of the Prosecutor and the suspects, assisted by their Defence teams, Pre-Trial Chamber II verified the identity of the suspects and ensured that they were clearly informed of the crimes which they are alleged to have committed and of their rights under the Rome Statute of the ICC.
A confirmation of charges hearing is held to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that each suspect committed each of the crimes being charged. If the charges are confirmed, the Pre-Trial Chamber commits the person to trial before a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings: the trial.
This video was produced in 2011 by the Public Information and Documentation Section of the ICC, for non-profit and educational purposes. The ICC encourages its use, reproduction and distribution for the same purposes. Sale or commercial use is strictly prohibited.