This week the ICC dismissed its first suspect from charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Pre-Trial judges found the prosecution had provided insignificant evidence to warrant a trial and ordered former Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Mbarushimana's release. Mbarushimana was arrested in France and extradited to the Court this past January. The Prosecutor appealed the decision, which was rejected earlier this week. Mbarushimana's release is currently being delayed due to a U.N. Travel Ban against him. Earlier this week the Office of the Prosecutor said it will review Libyan authorities' investigation of the death of Gaddafi to ensure that a genuine and effective investigation meeting international standards is taking place. The Prosecutor has decided to postpone a decision regarding launching its own investigation into the matter until next year. In other news, last week the ICC referred Kenya, Chad, Malawi and Djibouti to the UN Security Council for failing to arrest President Bashir of Sudan while visiting the states' territories. Also in the Kenya case, the Secretary-General confirmed earlier this week that the Kenyan government will be facilitating the defenses of the Kenya suspects if their cases proceed to trial at the ICC. Last week we reported that a Kenya high court decision holding that Kenya has a duty to arrest President Bashir while on Kenyan territory was causing significant tension between the Kenyan government and the Sudanese president. The Kenyan government has filed an appeal to overturn the decision and applied for a stay of the decision pending its appeal. This request has been refused, so the duty to arrest Bashir will stand until decided by the appeals court. Photo credit: BBC News.
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