International Law

ICC Prosecutor Seeks Arrest of Sudan's al-Bashir

By Paul Townsend

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Bashir is the most senior member pursued by the court and one of few sitting heads of state ever charged by an international court. Bashir is accused of organizing genocide in Sudan. Sudanese forces and the militia they support have killed up to 35,000 people and forced 2.5 million to flee their homes. Sudan is not a member of the court and denies there is genocide.

The real test now is political, as Sudan will seek to have its allies such as Russia and China block the issuance of the warrant.

On a personal note, having successfully represented a Sudanese man obtain asylum after he watched his father murdered and then was shot himself just for being "black Africans," I hope that Bashir and his cronies are all brought to justice.

Full post as published by International Law Blog on July 14, 2008 (boomark / email).