On 4 March 2009, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Marlise Simons from The New York Times reports.
The BBC reports on this developing story.
See also ICC Resources on the situation in Darfur, Sudan.
Former Anglican Archbishop Desmund Tutu provided a robust defense of the ICC in an Op-Ed piece in the 2 March 2009 edition of The New York Times. See "Will Africa Let Sudan Off the Hook?"
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The Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which was established through special agreement between Lebanon and the United Nations, began proceedings in The Netherlands, on Sunday 1 March 2009. Marlise Simons reports.
See also:
Special Tribunal for Lebanon website.
Handbook for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, International Center for Transitional Justice: Prosecutions Program, 10 April 2008
Once again, a clash of interests has arisen between Cambodia and legal experts supportive of the United Nations-backed Khmer Rouge trials which are slated to begin on 17 February 2009. While the Cambodian Government believes trying the 5 defendants currently in custody is enough, foreign legal experts contend that the judicial process should not be arbitrarily limited. Seth Mydans, in The New York Times, reports.
On 20 November 2008, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, presented evidence to ICC judges against rebel commanders in Darfur, Sudan for their alleged responsibility for crimes committed against African Union peacekeepers in Darfur on 29 September 2007. This was the largest in a series of attacks against peacekeepers. A thousand rebel-led soldiers surrounded and attacked the Haskanita camp in North Darfur. Twelve peacekeepers were murdered and eight were injured.
For additional information, please read the Press Release
Five months after ICC judges stayed proceedings against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, a trial chamber has lifted the stay and suggested a trial commencement date of 26 January 2009. Please see the Press Release for additional information.