ICC in the Media, Update #59

During the past week the media focused on a range of ICC activities. Last week Aisha Gaddafi, Muammar Gaddafi's daughter and Seif al-Islam's sister, delivered a request to the ICC offering to provide information to the Pre-Trial Chamber to assist in their determining an appropriate course of action. She cited her reason for offering the information as a desire to protect the interests of her brother. On Thursday the ICC judges rejected Aisha's request, saying that allowing it would be contrary to court procedure. Reportedly, the request was more aimed toward gaining permission to contact her brother than providing information, as the request initially indicated. Last week the African Union met in Dar es Salaam, and reportedly the heads of state discussed whether the ICC unfairly targets Africans. Reportedly the meeting resulted in a pledge for governments to review the role and functions of the ICC. The United Nations Secretary-General reportedly said that African criticism over the ICC is unfounded, pointing to the fact that most African governments have supported the ICC and its activities. Furthermore, Ban Ki-Moon reportedly pointed out that most of the Court's cases have not been initiated by the ICC itself. Meanwhile in the Kenya case, the announcement of the confirmation of charges against four of the suspects has reportedly created domestic controversies. The confirmation has sparked debate over whether the charged should be forced to resign from their government posts and, more importantly, whether 2012 presidential hopefuls Ruto and Kenyatta should be permitted to run. Justice Minister Kilonzo, shown in the video below, believes that allowing the suspects to continue would run contrary to Kenyan law.

He also spoke to Kenya's plan to create a domestic wing through which the non-ICC post-election violence crimes might be tried. This need for action domestically to bring the remaining perpetrators to justice has been echoed in the media by other members of the international community in the wake of the confirmations. Photo credits: AFP, Voice of America, Aljazeera.