The International Criminal Court, demanded the released of four members of staff, that it alleges were detained whilst on an official trip in Libya. The four were said to have been meeting the imprisoned Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and include at least one of the two lawyers appointed to represent Saif al-Islam at The Hague. The ICC president, Sang-Hyun Song, said, “We are very concerned about the safety of our staff in the absence of any contact with them,” “These four international civil servants have immunity when on an official ICC mission.” The lawyer representing Libyan interests at The...
The newly elected leader of the Syrian National Council has called upon the international community to act decisively to prevent further killings in Syria, as reports of shelling in Homs emerged. Kurdish activist Abdulbaset Sieda, who now leads the opposition umbrella organisation, stated in an Istanbul press conference, "[The] international community must decide the situation is not acceptable in Syria, now after all these massacres in Syria. Now we are [hoping] they will do something under Chapter 7". He went on to urge the international community to " stop the killing machine in a decisive...
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has transferred the case of genocide suspect Bernard Munyagishari over to Rwandan authorities, marking only the fifth case in history that it has referred on. A three-judge UN tribunal panel decided to transfer Munyagishari's case after ruling , "Rwanda has made material changes in its laws and has indicated its capacity and willingness to prosecute cases referred by this Tribunal." Munyagishari stands accused of conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity in genocide, murder and rape as crimes against humanity, during the 1994 genocide. He...
Intense overnight shelling has killed at least 17 civilians in Syria according to the latest reports, as Russia expressed growing concerns about the situation in the country. The latest attacks were reported from the southern town of Deraa, where frequent clashes between rebels and government forces have taken place since the beginning of the uprising last year. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated the situation was becoming “more alarming” telling a news conference, "An impression is being created that Syria is on the verge of a full-scale civil conflict." However, went on to say...
The United States has condemned Serbian president Tomislav Nikolic’s statement denying genocide in Srebrenica, labelling it “counterproductive”. US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner, responded to the newly sworn in Serbian president’s comments, stating , " Genocide in Srebrenica is not a subjective determination. It is a defined criminal act which the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has confirmed in final and binding verdicts in multiple cases." "The International Court of Justice also has concluded that genocide occurred in Srebrenica. It cannot be denied. "...
An investigating judge for the UN genocide tribunal in Cambodia has named four senior government officials as persons of interest, according to confidential documents obtained by The Age . The current Cambodian senate president Chea Sim, National Assembly president Heng Samrin, the chief of the army and another senator have allegedly been named by the UN investigator, in connection with a case examining the imprisonment and murder of thousands of people at the Tuol Sleng prison. All four officials served in the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979, which oversaw the death of at least 2 million...
Malawi has decided not to host the African Union (AU) summit in July, after disputes over the attendance of Sudan’s president, Omar Al-Bashir. Omar Al-Bashir has been indicted for war crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Incidentally, Sudan’s president has visited several African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries despite the ICC arrest warrants for charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The AU lobbied for Bashir’s arrest warrant to be deferred and urged Malawi to allow the president to attend the summit. According to the Vice President of Malawi...
The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, said that the UN observers in Syria have frequently been targeted by heavy weapons, armour-piercing ammunition and surveillance drones , in an address to the UN General Assembly. Ban Ki Moon said , “Today’s news reports of another massacre... are shocking and sickening. A village apparently surrounded by Syrian forces. The bodies of innocent civilians lying where they were, shot. Some allegedly burnt or slashed with knives." “We condemn this unspeakable barbarity and renew our determination to bring those responsible to account.” “How many more times...
Serbia's new president plans to see clarification from the EU on what pre-requisites exist for membership, particularly regarding the recognition of Kosovo's independence. Speaking to a state news agency on Friday, Tomislav Nikolic, said of his upcoming visit to Brussels: "Since they will ask me for straight answers to many questions, I also expect straight answers to questions that I'll raise," "In Brussels I expect to finally find out what no one in Serbia has ever heard: does the EU insist that Serbia accept the independence of Kosovo in order to continue its path to the EU?"
US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, calls for the departure of Assad after UN monitors are blocked from verifying the Hama massacre. The UN Secretary, General Ban Ki-Moon, told a General Assembly session today, that monitors trying to access the site of an alleged massacre were shot at by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Ban Ki Moon said : " Today’s news reports of another massacre… are shocking and sickening ," "We condemn this unspeakable barbarity and renew our determination to bring those responsible to account ," The opposition groups in Syria have claimed that pro-...