US Ambassador Rapp Touts American Cooperation with ICC at ASP in New York

At a side event at the tenth session of the ICC's governing body, US Ambaasador at Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen J. Rapp described extensive US efforts to ensure justice for victims by ensuring protection for witnesses. According to Rapp, it is not possible to achieve justice without adequate protection of individual witnesses who are willing to testify in the prosecution and defense of cases. He noted that even though the US is not a State Party to the ICC, it is looking for ways to help the Court, including with the protection and relocation of witnesses. He reported that through cooperation with Court, the US is involved in all of the situations now under investigation.

The US is expected to make a statement this afternoon during the ASP general debate, a copy of which will be on the CICC website and the ASP website:

ICC in the Media, Update #54

This week there has been a great deal of ICC activity. As we reported earlier, the annual Assembly of States Parties meeting is currently ongoing in New York. At the meeting the ASP formally elected Gamibian Fatou Bensouda as the ICC's next Prosecutor. Her candidacy was widely supported, including by the African Union. On Tuesday the future Prosecutor pledged to increase efforts to enforce justice against perpetrators of sex and gender crimes. On Monday a representative for the Court said it was referring Malawi's non-compliance with the ICC to the United Nations Security Council, after the country refused to arrest President Bashir when he visited in October. What the Security Council will do about the matter remains to be seen. In the wake of the ICC's arrest of former President Gbagbo of the Ivory Coast, protestors have gathered outside the Court demanding his release. This ICC has not issued a statement on the matter. Earlier we reported that the Kenya high court issued a ruling ordering the government to arrest Bashir if he returns to Kenya. The ruling prompted an ultimatum from President Bashir, as well as criticism from Kenyan government officials. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called upon Kenya's government officials to respect the new-found independence of the judiciary and to resist urges to overturn the decision due to political pressures. In other news, last week Vanuata became the 120th state to join the Rome Statute and become state party to the International Criminal Court. The statute will enter into force for the nation on February 1, 2012. Photo Credits: BBC News and Reuters.

ICC Assembly of States Parties Elect One More Judge in Second Day of Elections

After four more rounds of voting the ICC Assembly of States Parties elected only one more candidate, leaving nine candidates vying for three judicial vacancies. Robert Fremr of the Czech Republic will join Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Anthony Carmona as ICC judges in March 2012.

Voting will resume at 3pm tomorrow with the sixth round of voting.

Initial Results of Elections at Assembly of States Parties: Prosecutor and Two Judges Elected

The ICC Assembly of States Parties today elected Fatou Bensouda of the Gambia to be the next Chief Prosecutor, taking office in June 2012, as well as two of the 18 judicial candidates: Meriam Defensor-Santiago of the Philippines and Anthony Carmona of Trinidad and Tobago. The judicial elections will resume tomorrow morning at 10am to fill the remaining four judicial vacancies.

Follow AMICC's coverage of the Tenth Session of the ICC Assembly of States Parties (ASP) from UN Headquarters in New York, December 12-21

The AMICC Secretariat, along with representatives of several AMICC members, will be participating in the upcoming Tenth Session of the ICC's governing body, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP). The meeting will be held at UN Headquarters in New York, December 12-21.

Among the agenda items at the session will be the election of a new Chief Prosecutor, six new judges, the approval of the ICC's budget for 2012 and other issues relevant to the governance and proceedings of the ICC.

For complete reporting on all eight days of the ASP session, please follow or friend AMICC on our:

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Laurent Gbagbo Appears Before ICC Judges; Hearing to Confirm Charges Set for June 18

Laurent Gbagbo, former president of Cote d'Ivoire, at his initial
appearance on December 5 at the ICC in The Hague. ICC photo.

Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo appeared before ICC judges today in order to confirm his identity and to advise him of his rights. He is suspected on committing crimes against humanity in the aftermath of a disputed election last year. Gbagbo's lawyers indicated that he would content the Prosecutor's evidence. The judges scheduled a confirmation of charges hearing for June 18, 2012 to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to go to trial.

ICC in the Media, Update #53

This week the ICC issued an arrest warrant for former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo for crimes against humanity committed after he lost last year's election and refused to cede power. The violence reportedly led to more than 3,000 deaths. Soon after the warrant was issued Gbagbo was transferred to the ICC, the first head of state to be taken into the Court's custody. The ICC Prosecutor made a statement saying that Gbagbo is the first to be arrested by the ICC, but that the ICC is investigating others involved and "there are more to come." Gbagbo has not yet made a pleading before the ICC, but has denied responsibility for the violence.

In other news, Ocampo has requested the issuance of an arrest warrant for Sudan's Defense Minister for genocide. The Prosecutor contends that the defense minister was responsible for orchestrating genocide in the Darfur, Sudan conflict. Reportedly George Clooney's Satellite Sentinel Project is helping collect evidence against the Defense Minister.

Last week the Kenya high court decided that Kenya, as a member state to the ICC, is under a duty to arrest President Bashir of Sudan if he ever enters Kenya again. Reportedly Bashir has given an ultimatum to Kenya, telling them to overturn the judgment within the next two weeks. Government representatives have reportedly said that this is not an option because the judiciary is independent under the Constitution. Last week the Prosecutor began a preliminary investigation into sex crimes potentially committed in Libya by Gaddafi's troops. The Prosecutor has stated there is evidence of a government "official rape policy" including the distribution of Viagra-type drugs to soldiers. Last week the Assembly of States Parties met to discuss the identity of the ICC's next Prosecutor. At the meeting it was agreed that current ICC Deputy Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of Gambia should succeed Ocampo. She is to be formally elected by the Assembly on December 12, 2011. Last week the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized the urgency for a Security Council resolution referring the situation in Syria to the ICC. The Council has passed a resolution condemning the "gross and systematic violations of human rights" in the country, but has not referred the situation to the Hague. Photo credit: Reuters & Reuters.

ICC Presents Case Against a New Darfur Suspect, Sudanese Defense Minister Abdelrahim Hussein

On December 2, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced the opening of a new case in the Darfur situation, the Court's fourth, seeking a warrant of arrest for Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, the Minister of Defense for the Government of Sudan. The arrest warrant application alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between August 2003 and March 2004. According to the ICC Prosecutor, “The evidence shows that this was a state policy supervised by Mr. Hussein to ensure the coordination of attacks against civilians.” Mr. Hussein served as the Minister of the Interior during the period of the alleged crimes during which he delegated authority to Ahmed Harun, one of the other suspects wanted by the ICC for some of the same atrocities.