Le Bureau du Procureur

The Office of the Prosecutor

OTPWeeklyBriefing

NEWS Issue#112 10to21February 2012 ProsecutorelectFatouBensoudavisitsAustralia

ProsecutorelectFatou BensoudavisitsAustralia TheProsecutortravelsto Qatarforaseriesofhigh levelmeetings 1317 February Deputy Prosecutor and ProsecutorelectFatouBensouda,together with the Courts President, the Registrar andtheASPPresident,participatedinthe international conference Justice for all? TheInternationalCriminalCourt10year review of the ICC at the University of NewSouthWales(UNSW)inSydney.

Addressing the audienceon gender justiceandlessons from Africa, Prosecutorelect Bensouda stated that gendercrimesare prominentinourprosecutionsbecausetheyareprominentinthecontextsbeingprosecuted[]ThisOfficewillmakesurethatvictimsof sexual and gender crimes see the crimes they have suffered from being punished; their perpetrators being arrested and prevented from committing additional crimes. This is a commitment that I make as the new incoming Prosecutor of the ICC. Mrs Bensouda also stressedthat:TheworldincreasinglyunderstandstheroleoftheCourt;Africaunderstooditrightfromthestart.AsAfricans,weknow thatimpunityisnotanacademic,abstractnotion.ThisAfricancommitmenttoendingimpunityisarealityandwehavetofindthewayto focusourattentiononthat. TheProsecutorelectalsoparticipatedinafulldayroundtableontheICCwithdelegatesfrom11memberstatesofthePacific Islands Forum (PIF), organised by the governments of Australia and New Zealand and the Commonwealth Secretariat, togetherwithotherseniorofficialsoftheCourt. The Prosecutorelect finally gave a lecture on The Rome Statute Ten Years On: Where to fromherefortheICC?attheMelbourneUniversityLawSchool;theProsecutorelecttoldan audience of 300 persons: As the next Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, I will continuetocontributetosolidifyingthischange.Ihopetocountonthesupportofallofyoupresent heretoday,asfutureworldleaders,toachievethischange.

The Prosecutor travels to Qatar for a series of high levelmeetings

1516 February Prosecutor Moreno Ocampo held meetings in Doha with HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa alThani, as well as HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin JaboralThani,todiscussanumberofissuesofmutualconcern.

TheProsecutoralsometwithHHSheikhaMozabintNasser,inordertodiscusseducationrelatedissues.TheOfficebelieves thatthecompletionofthefirsttrialoftheICC(TheProsecutorvs.ThomasLubangaDyilo)willbeacrucialopportunitytofocus on how States and other relevant actors can maximize the work of the Court through their national curricula, and thus contributetoprevention.ThecommitmentandinitiativesregardingeducationbyHHSheikhaMozabintNasserareamodel inthisarea,andtheProsecutorsoughtheradviceinordertoencouragedifferentinitiatives.

OTPActivities
OVERVIEW
7situationsunderinvestigation 14casesinrelationto24persons 9outstandingarrestwarrants 8preliminaryexaminationsin4differentcontinents Phases 1initialappearance 2casesbeforePreTrialChambers 6casesbeforeTrialChambers

I.PreliminaryExaminations

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).

II.InvestigationsandProsecutions

1.SituationintheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo(DRC)Referred:April2004InvestigationOpened:June2004
Trials TheProsecutorvThomasLubangaDyilochargedwithwarcrimesagainstchildrencommittedintheIturiregion20022003 Status:Trialfinishedon26August2011,pendingjudgment TheProsecutorvGermainKatangaandMathieuNgudjoloChuichargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringthe attackofthevillageofBogorointheIturiregionon24February2003 Status:Defencecasepresentationconcluded,closingoralstatementssettostarton15May2012 ConfirmationofChargesHearing TheProsecutorvCallixteMbarushimanachargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity,includingmassivesexualviolence, committedintheNorthandSouthKivus20092010 Status:PreTrialChamberIdeclinestoconfirmthecharges(16December2011);OTPisseekingleavetoappeal WarrantPending TheProsecutorvBoscoNtagandachargedwithwarcrimesagainstchildrencommittedintheIturiregion20022003 Issued:22August2006

2.SituationinUgandaReferred:January2004Investigationopened:July2004
WarrantsPending TheProsecutorvJosephKonyetal.chargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringLRAsinsurgencyactivitiesin NorthernUganda20022004 Issued: 8 July 2005. On 11 July 2007, PreTrial Chamber I ordered to terminate the proceedings against Raska Lukwiya. On 8 November 2007,theOTPsubmittedinformationtothePTConthereporteddeathofVincentOtti.

9 February Invisible Children and Resolve published an overview of LRA activity reported over the last year across the CentralAfricanRepublic,DemocraticRepublicofCongo,andSouthSudan.Intotal,284attackswerereportedin2011,witha totalofmorethan140civilianskilledandalmost600abducted.Attacksdecreasedmarkedlyacrosstheyear,particularlyinthe secondsixmonths,thelatterfollowingreportsthatKonysummonedagatheringofkeyLRAleadersinCARbetweenJulyand September. The authors highlight that reductions in attacks do not necessarily point to a weakened LRA the LRA have employedsimilarstrategiestoevadeinternationalattentionbefore,forexamplepriortolaunchingincreasedattacksin2008. 3.SituationinDarfur,theSudanReferred:March2005Investigationopened:June2005
Trial TheProsecutorvAbdallahBandaAbakaerNourainandSalehMohammedJerboJamuschargedwithwarcrimescommittedduringanattack againsttheHaskanitaAUpeacekeepingbaseinNorthDarfuron29September2007 Status:Chargesconfirmed,trialdatetobeset Prosecutiontopresentadditionalevidence TheProsecutorvBaharIdrissAbuGardachargedwithwarcrimescommittedduringanattackagainsttheHaskanitaAUpeacekeepingbase inNorthDarfuron29September2007 WarrantsPending TheProsecutorvOmarAlBashirchargedwithwarcrimes,crimesagainsthumanityandgenocidecommittedaspartofthecounter insurgencycampaigninDarfur20032008(atleast) Issued:4March2009&12July2010 TheProsecutorvAliKushaybandAhmadHarunchargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringtheattacks againstthecivilianpopulationinDarfurAugust2003March2004 Issued:27February2007

12 February According to a report released by the Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO), the humanitarian situation in Abu Shouk Camp, situated just outside El Fasher in North Darfur, is deteriorating. Displaced persons told the survey takers that poverty, security and human rights were getting worse, citing new policies of the World Food Program (WFP)thatforcedthemtolookforlowpaidworkinElFasher,whichledtowomenandgirlsbeingsexuallyexploitedwhile working as maids. They cited the health situation as back to zero with only the Sudanese Red Crescent and the Arab Egyptian Center to provide health care, cited continuous human rights violations, prosecutions and arrests of activists and humanrightsdefenders,thelackofaccesstojusticeforcrimeslikerapebecauseofthe2009closureoflegalaidorganizations by the Government of the Sudan, and the activities of the police, security and central reserve police as having a negative impactonthelifeofIDPs. 19FebruaryU.S.SpecialEnvoyPrincetonLymanmetinKhartoumwithSudansForeignMinisterAliKarti.Kartisaidthat thesituationinSudanandSouthSudanwasaresultofwar,callingontheinternationalcommunitytoaddresstherootcauses oftheproblemratherthandealingwithitsrepercussions.ReportsindicatethatSudansMinisterofSocialWelfare,AmiraAl Fadil,toldLymanthatthelanguageofthreatsusedbytheUSenvoytotheUN,SusanRice,doesnotleadtosolutions. 4.SituationintheCentralAfricanRepublic(CAR)Referred:January2005Investigationopened:May2007
Trial TheProsecutorvJeanPierreBembaGombochargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity,includingamassiverapecampaign, committedinCARbetween26October200215March2003 Status:Prosecutioncasepresentationongoing

5.SituationinKenyaOTPrequesttostartinvestigation:November2009Investigationopened:March2010
Trials TheProsecutorvWilliamSamoeiRutoandJoshuaArapSangchargedwithcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringthepostelectoral violenceinKenyaonorabout30December2007endJanuary2008 Status:Casesenttotrialon23January2012,dateoftrialtobeset TheProsecutorvFrancisKirimiMuthauraandUhuruMuigaiKenyattachargedwithcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringthepost electoralviolenceinKenya2428January2008 Status:Casesenttotrialon23January2012,dateoftrialtobeset

6.SituationinLibyaReferred:February2011Investigationopened:March2011
WarrantsPending TheProsecutorvSaifAlIslamGaddafiandAbdullahAlSenussichargedwithcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringattacksonthe civilianpopulationbytheLibyanSecurityForces15Februaryatleast28February2011 Issued:27June2011;PreTrialChamberIorderedtheterminationofthecasetheProsecutorv.MuammarGaddafi,afterProsecutionrequest(22 November2011)

7.SituationinCtedIvoireOTPrequesttostartinvestigation:June2011Investigationopened:October2011
Warrantexecuted The Prosecutor v Laurent Gbagbo charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed after the November 2010 Ivorian elections. Issued:23November2011(underseal) Status:initialappearanceon5December2011;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
1315 February The OTP participated in training approximately 30 Kenyan prosecutors at a workshop in Naivasha, on InternationalCriminalJustice.TheworkshopwasjointlyorganizedbytheInstituteforSecurityStudiesandtheRepublicof

Kenyas Directorate of Public Prosecutions. The workshop brought together a wide range of regional and international expertsandpractitionersinthecriminaljusticefieldincluding,amongstothers,KenyasDirectorofPublicProsecutions,Judge NahamyafromUgandasInternationalCrimesDivision,RwandasProsecutorGeneral,andseniorprosecutorsfromBurundi andTanzania.TheOTPledtrainingsessionsonthejurisdictionalandadmissibilityprovisionsoftheRomeStatute,thecurrent preliminary examinations, investigations and cases at the Court, and key moments in the OTPs investigation into Kenyas postelectionviolence.TheOTPstrainingsessionswereverywellreceived,withparticipatingProsecutorswidelyindicating thattheworkshophelpedclarifyseveralmisunderstandingsandmisconceptionsabouttheOTPsengagementinKenya.

V.UpcomingEvents

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VI.OtherInformation

21 February The Office convened a meeting for all OTP staff in relation to the general strategy of the Office and its transition towards a new Prosecutor. The Prosecutor, Prosecutorelect, the Director of JCCD and the Head of the Investigations Division presented the achievements in the last nine years of activities, as well as the challenges aheadandthetransitionprocesstowardsProsecutorelectFatouBensoudatakingofficein June2012.
*ThisdocumentreflectstheviewsoftheOfficeoftheProsecutoroftheICC.Formoreinformation,contactMrs.OliviaSwaakGoldman,InternationalCooperationAdviser intheOfficeoftheProsecutor,atOlivia.SwaakGoldman@icccpi.int