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ICC prosecutor criticizes Sudan expulsion of aid workers

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Friday that the decision by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to expel 13 foreign aid agencies earlier this month demonstrates that the ICC is justified in pursuing war crimes charges against Bashir. Ocampo's statement came after a meeting of the UN Security Council, which was held to address concerns over the removal of the aid agencies and to urge the Sudanese government to reconsider the expulsion. Bashir accused the aid groups of complicity with the ICC, after the ICC issued a controversial arrest warrant for Bashir based on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ocampo has denied receiving any information from the agencies in Sudan. Bashir has also threatened to expel any remaining agencies, diplomats and peacekeepers in Sudan. Human rights and other groups had urged Bashir to allow the agencies to remain in the country, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesman Rupert Colville has said that his office may investigate whether Sudan's removal of the groups is a possible breach of human rights law or war crime.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 21, 2009 (boomark / email).