Le Bureau du Procureur

The Office of the Prosecutor

OTPWeeklyBriefing

Issue106 30November5 December2011 Prosecutorpresentsnew caseinDarfur LaurentGbagboinitial appearancebeforethe ICC

NEWS

ICCProsecutorPresentsNewCaseinDarfur

2DecemberTheICCProsecutorrequestedPreTrialChamberItoissueanarrestwarrantagainstthecurrentSudanese DefenseMinisterAbdelrahimMohamedHusseinforcrimesagainsthumanityandwarcrimescommittedinDarfurfrom August2003toMarch2004. TheevidenceallowedtheOTPtoconcludethatMr.Husseinisoneofthosewhobearthegreatestcriminalresponsibility forthesamecrimesandincidentspresentedinpreviouswarrantsofarrestforAhmedHarunandAliKushaybissuedby the Court on 27April 2007. Mr. Hussein was then Minister for the Interior for the Government of Sudan and Special Representative of the President in Darfur, with all of the powers and responsibilities of the President. Mr. Hussein delegatedsomeofhisresponsibilitiestoMr.Harun,theMinisterofStatefortheInterior,whomheappointedtoheadthe DarfurSecurityDesk. ThecrimeswereperpetratedduringattacksuponthetownsandvillagesofKodoom,Bindisi,MukjarandArawalainthe Wadi Salih and Mukjar Localities of West Darfur. The attacks followed a common pattern: the Government of Sudan forces surrounded the villages, the Air Force dropped bombs indiscriminately and foot soldiers, including Militia/Janjaweed,killed,rapedandlootedtheentirevillage,forcingthedisplacementof4millioninhabitants.Currently, 2.5 million remain in camps for Internally Displaced Persons. The Prosecutor considered that Mr. Hussein should be arrestedinordertopreventhimfromcontinuingwiththecommissionofcrimeswithinthejurisdictionoftheCourt.He statedthattheevidenceshowsthatdirectlyandthroughMr.Harun,Mr.Husseinplayedacentralroleincoordinatingthecrimes, includinginrecruiting,mobilizing,funding,arming,trainingandthedeploymentoftheMilitia/JanjaweedaspartoftheGovernment oftheSudanforces,withtheknowledgethattheseforceswouldcommitthecrimes. Human Rights Watch expressed that the warrantrequestisanimportantsteptoadvancejusticeforthemanyvictimsofcrimesinDarfur, while Amnesty International recalledthatthisdevelopmentalsohighlightsthecontinuingfailureofSudanandothergovernmentstocooperatewiththeICCby arrestingtheothersuspects,

Aftercarefulconsideration,theOTPdecidedtopubliclyseekawarrantagainstMr.Husseintoencouragefurtherpublic focusonGovernmentoftheSudanpolicyandactions,andpromotecooperationintakingactiontoarrestMr.Husseinand the3otherindividualssubjecttoICCwarrants,asestablishedbyUNSecurityCouncilResolution1593(2005).

FirstappearanceofLaurentGbagbobeforePreTrialChamberIII
5DecemberPreTrialChamberIIIsetthedateforthestart of the confirmation of charges hearing in the case ofThe Prosecutor v. Laurent Koudou Gbagbofor 18 June 2012. This decisionwasannouncedattheinitialappearanceofLaurent Koudou Gbagbobefore the ICC. During this hearing, in the presenceoftheProsecutionandtheDefence,representedby Mr. Emmanuel Altit, PreTrial Chamber III verified the identity of Mr. Gbagboand ensured that he was clearly informed of the charges brought against him and of his rightsundertheRomeStatuteoftheICC. The international community welcomed Laurent Gbagbos transfertoTheHagueandexpressedtheneedtogivehima fairtrial.CatherineAshton,HighRepresentativeoftheEUforForeignAffairs,statedthattheEUreiteratesitssupportfor theICCinitsstruggleagainstimpunityandthepromotionofalawbasedinternationalorder,whileaffirmingalsothatequitable justiceisessentialfortheconsolidationofpeaceinCtedIvoire.
I.PreliminaryExaminations

OTPActivities
OVERVIEW
7situationsunderinvestigation 14casesinrelationto25persons 19arrestwarrants11outstanding Phases: 8preliminaryexaminationsin4differentcontinents 1initialappearance 3confirmationofchargesproceedings 4trials

PreliminaryexaminationsrefertotheanalyticalprocessbywhichtheOTPassesseswhetherthereisareasonablebasistoproceedwithan investigationinagivensituation. In accordance with Article 15 of the Statute, the OTP proactively gathers and evaluates information from multiple sources, including communicationsfromindividualsandpartiesconcerned(phase1initialreview).Followingasequentialprocess,andirrespectiveofthe mechanism by which the jurisdiction of the Court is triggered, the Office then applies the same legal criteria laid out in Article 53 of the Statute, namely temporal/territorial/personal jurisdiction (phase 2a), subjectmatter jurisdiction (phase 2b), admissibility, including complementarityandgravity(phase3)andtheinterestsofjustice(phase4). Currently, the OTP is conducting preliminary examinations into eight situations: Palestine (phase 2a), Afghanistan, Honduras, Korea and Nigeria(phase2b),Colombia,GeorgiaandGuinea(Phase3).

20 communications that may fall under Article 15 were received by the Office in the month of November. 8 of these communicationsweremanifestlyoutsidethejurisdictionoftheCourt;12communicationswarrantedfurtheranalysisorwere linkedtoasituationalreadyunderanalysis.ThetotalnumberofArticle15communicationsreceivedtodateis9,332ofwhich 4,399weremanifestlyoutsidethejurisdictionoftheCourt.

II.InvestigationsandProsecutions
1.SituationintheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo(DRC)Referred:April2004InvestigationOpened:June2004 Trials TheProsecutorvThomasLubangaDyilochargedwithwarcrimesagainstchildrencommittedintheIturiregion20022003 Status:Trialfinishedon26August2011,pendingjudgment TheProsecutorvGermainKatangaandMathieuNgudjoloChuichargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduring theattackofthevillageofBogorointheIturiregionon24February2003 Status:Defencecasepresentationconcluded ConfirmationofChargesHearing TheProsecutorvCallixteMbarushimanachargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity,includingmassivesexualviolence, committedintheNorthandSouthKivus20092010 Status:Hearingheldfrom16to21September2011,pendingdecision WarrantPending TheProsecutorvBoscoNtagandachargedwithwarcrimesagainstchildrencommittedintheIturiregion20022003 Issued:22August2006

2.SituationinUgandaReferred:January2004Investigationopened:July2004

3.SituationinDarfur,theSudanReferred:March2005Investigationopened:June2005

WarrantsPending: TheProsecutorvJosephKonyetal.chargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringLRAsinsurgencyactivities inNorthernUganda20022004 Issued:8July2005

Trial TheProsecutorvAbdallahBandaAbakaerNourainandSalehMohammedJerboJamuschargedwithwarcrimescommittedduringanattack againsttheHaskanitaAUpeacekeepingbaseinNorthDarfuron29September2007 Status:Chargesconfirmed,trialdatetobeset Prosecutiontopresentadditionalevidence TheProsecutorvBaharIdrissAbuGardachargedwithwarcrimescommittedduringanattackagainsttheHaskanitaAUpeacekeeping baseinNorthDarfuron29September2007 WarrantsPending: TheProsecutorvOmarAlBashirchargedwithwarcrimes,crimesagainsthumanityandgenocidecommittedaspartofthecounter insurgencycampaigninDarfur20032008(atleast) Issued:4March2009&12July2010 TheProsecutorvAliKushaybandAhmadHarunchargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringtheattacks againstthecivilianpopulationinDarfurAugust2003March2004 Issued:27February2007

4.SituationintheCentralAfricanRepublic(CAR)Referred:January2005Investigationopened:May2007

Trial: TheProsecutorvJeanPierreBembaGombochargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity,includingamassiverapecampaign, committedinCARbetween26October200215March2003 Status:Prosecutioncasepresentationongoing

5.SituationinKenyaOTPrequesttostartinvestigation:November2009Investigationopened:March2010 ConfirmationofChargesHearing: TheProsecutorvWilliamSamoeiRuto,HenryKipronoKosgeyandJoshuaArapSangchargedwithcrimesagainsthumanitycommitted duringthepostelectoralviolenceinKenya30December2007endJanuary2008 Status:Hearingheldfrom1to9September2011,pendingdecision

TheProsecutorvFrancisKirimiMuthaura,UhuruMuigaiKenyattaandMohammedHusseinAlichargedwithcrimesagainsthumanity committedduringthepostelectoralviolenceinKenya2431January2008

Status:Hearingheldfrom21Septemberto6October2011,pendingdecision

6.SituationinLibyaReferred:February2011Investigationopened:March2011
WarrantsPending:

TheProsecutorvSaifAlIslamGaddafiandAbdullahAlSenussichargedwithcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringattacksonthe civilianpopulationbytheLibyanSecurityForces15Februaryatleast28February2011 7.SituationinCtedIvoireOTPrequesttostartinvestigation:June2011Investigationopened:October2011

Issued: 27 June 2011; PreTrial Chamber I ordered the termination of the case the Prosecutor v. Muammar Gaddafi, after Prosecution request(22November2011). \

Warrantexecuted: The ProsecutorvLaurentGbagbo charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed after the November 2010 Ivorian elections. Issued:23November2011(underseal),unsealedon30November2011 Status:initialappearance5December2011;confirmationofchargeshearingsetfor18June2012

III.ArrestsCooperation

9PERSONSSOUGHTBYTHECOURT

TheProsecutorv BoscoNtaganda(moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:DRC,inandaroundGoma

TheProsecutorv JosephKonyetal(moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:variously,atdifferenttimes,intheborderareabetweenDRC,CARandSouthSudan TheProsecutorv SaifAlIslamGaddafiandAbdullahAlSenussi (moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:Libya TheProsecutorv AhmedHarunandAliKushayb (moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:SouthKordofan,Sudan(A.Harun) Sudan(A.Kushayb)

TheProsecutorv OmarHassanAhmadAlBashir(moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:Khartoum,Sudan

IV.OtherCooperation
29NovemberTheUNSecurityCouncilissuedaresolutionstressingtheneedtorenewarmsembargoandrelatedsanctions against DRC amid illicit weapons flows within, into the country. The Resolution also stressed the importance for the CongoleseGovernmenttoactivelyseektoholdaccountablethoseresponsibleforwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanityin the country and of regional cooperation to that end, including through cooperation with the ICC. The Resolution also calls upon all States, especially those in the region, to take effective steps to ensure that there is no support, in and from their territories,fortheillegalarmedgroupsintheeasternpartoftheDRC,welcomingthepositiveinternationaldevelopmentsin regardtoaddressingtherisksposedbyarmedgroupleadersinthediasporas,andcallsuponallStatestotakeaction,where appropriate, against leaders of the FDLR and other illegal armed groups residing in their countries. It also calls upon the Congolese authorities to continue their fight against impunity, especially against all perpetrators of human rights and internationalhumanitarianlawviolations,includingsexualviolence,includingthosecommittedbyanyillegalarmedgroups orelementsoftheFARDC. 2DecemberAttheHumanRightsCouncil18thSpecialSessiontoexaminethesituationofhumanrightsinSyria,UNHigh Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay stated that SinceMarch of thisyear,morethan 4,000 people have reportedly been killed.Tensofthousandshavebeenarrested.Andmorethan14,000arereportedtobeindetentionasaresultofthecrackdown.Atleast 12,400 have sought refuge in neighbouring countries and tens of thousands have been internally displaced. Reports of increased armed attacksbytheoppositionforces,includingthesocalledFreeSyrianArmy,againsttheSyrianmilitaryandsecurityapparatusarealsoof concern. Navi Pillay also affirmed that after the OHCHR FactFinding mission mandated by the Council concluded that crimesagainsthumanitymayhavebeencommittedinSyria,sheencouragedtheSecurityCounciltoreferthesituationinSyriato theICC. 2DecemberTheRepublicofVanuatudepositedtotheUNitsinstrumentofaccessiontotheRomeStatute.TheStatutewill enterintoforceforVanuatuon1February2012,makingVanuatuthe120thStatePartytotheRomeStatute.ThePresidentof the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, said: ThisaccessionshowsthePacific Regionscommitmenttointernationalcriminaljustice.ItisalsoanimportantmilestonefortheAssembly,asthenumberofStatesParties hasnowreachedthenumberofStatesthatvotedinfavouroftheRomeStatutein1998.

V.UpcomingEvents

December
5 12 TenthSessionof theAssemblyof StatesParties, NewYork 13 TenthSessionof theAssemblyof StatesParties, NewYork 6 14 TenthSessionof theAssemblyof StatesParties, NewYork 15 TenthSessionof theAssemblyof StatesParties, NewYork 16 TenthSessionof theAssemblyof StatesParties, NewYork 17 18 7 8 9 10 11

Prosecutor reportstoUN SecurityCouncil onDarfur,New York 19 TenthSessionof theAssemblyof StatesParties, NewYork 26 27 28 29 30 31 20 TenthSessionof theAssemblyof StatesParties, NewYork 21 TenthSessionof theAssemblyof StatesParties, NewYork 22 23 24 25

VI.OtherInformation

*ThisdocumentreflectstheviewsoftheOfficeoftheProsecutoroftheICC.Formoreinformation,contactMrs.OliviaSwaakGoldman,InternationalCooperationAdviser intheOfficeoftheProsecutor,atOlivia.SwaakGoldman@icccpi.int