Police have arrested two Syrian citizens in Germany on suspicion of crimes against humanity, including torturing prisoners, during their work for the intelligence service in Syria, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Germany, Norway and Sweden are the only three European countries with universal jurisdiction over war crimes, meaning they can prosecute and try crimes committed abroad. More than 600,000 Syrians live in Germany.

The two suspects, identified as Anwar R., aged 56, and Eyad A., 42, were arrested by federal police in Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate state.

A spokeswoman for the GBA Federal Prosecutor's Office said both suspects were part of the Syrian security service centre in Damascus and had left Syria in 2012.

As a high-ranking employee in the Syrian intelligence service, Anwar R. is strongly suspected of participating in crimes against humanity by torturing opposition activists between 2011 and 2012, prosecutors said in a statement.

"As head of the so-called investigative department, Anwar R. assigned and directed the operations in the prison, including the use of systematic and brutal torture," said the statement.

The other Syrian is suspected of helping to kill two people and torturing at least 2,000 people as an intelligence worker between July 2011 and January 2012, it said. He is suspected of working in the department Anwar A. was directing.

The two were arrested after French authorities detained another Syrian in France over similar accusations, said the prosecutors.

Efforts to prosecute members of the Assad government have repeatedly failed because Syria is not a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Russia and China have also vetoed attempts to give the ICC a mandate to set up a special tribunal for Syria.

Police have arrested two Syrian citizens in Germany on suspicion of crimes against humanity, including torturing prisoners, during their work for the intelligence service in Syria, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Police have arrested two Syrian citizens in Germany on suspicion of crimes against humanity, including torturing prisoners, during their work for the intelligence service in Syria, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday. Germany, Norway and Sweden are the only three European countries with universal jurisdiction over war crimes, meaning they can prosecute and try crimes committed abroad. More than 600,000 Syrians live in Germany. The two suspects, identified as Anwar R., aged 56, and Eyad A., 42, were arrested by federal police in Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate state. A spokeswoman for the GBA Federal Prosecutor's Office said both suspects were part of the Syrian security service centre in Damascus and had left Syria in 2012. As a high-ranking employee in the Syrian intelligence service, Anwar R. is strongly suspected of participating in crimes against humanity by torturing opposition activists between 2011 and 2012, prosecutors said in a statement. "As head of the so-called investigative department, Anwar R. assigned and directed the operations in the prison, including the use of systematic and brutal torture," said the statement. The other Syrian is suspected of helping to kill two people and torturing at least 2,000 people as an intelligence worker between July 2011 and January 2012, it said. He is suspected of working in the department Anwar A. was directing. The two were arrested after French authorities detained another Syrian in France over similar accusations, said the prosecutors. Efforts to prosecute members of the Assad government have repeatedly failed because Syria is not a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Russia and China have also vetoed attempts to give the ICC a mandate to set up a special tribunal for Syria.

Two Syrians arrested in Germany for suspected crimes against humanity

Belgium has agreed to take in former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo following his acquittal at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP Saturday.

But under the terms of his release, he has to remain in a host country until the tribunal rules on whether to grant the prosecutors' request for a new trial.

He is also forbidden from contacting witnesses in the case and speaking publicly about it.

"In response to a request from the International Criminal Court, Belgium has agreed to take in Laurent Gbagbo," said spokesman Karl Lagatie.

"That is also part of the framework of our support for international criminal jurisdictions," he added.

Shock acquittal&nbsp;

The ICC finally freed Gbagbo on Friday after his shock acquittal last month on charges of crimes against humanity.

He and his aide Charles Ble Goude were cleared on January 15 over the wave of violence after disputed elections in the west African nation in 2010.

His release was also on condition that he stay in whichever host state accepted him until the court decided whether to let a new trial go ahead.

Defence lawyers had argued for the two men's immediate and unconditional release.

Under further conditions, Gbagbo also had to surrender his travel documents, report weekly, avoid contacting witnesses in Ivory Coast and refrain from making public statements about the case, the court documents said.

According to Belgian press reports, Gbagbo's second wife, 47-year-old Nady Bamba, lives in Belgium.&nbsp;

Gbagbo, now 73, was the first former head of state ever to stand trial at the ICC.

More than 3,000 people died on both sides after Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to his internationally backed-rival — and now-president — Alassane Ouattara.

He had been held by the ICC in the Netherlands since 2011.

The ICC's unwillingness to let Gbagbo return to Ivory Coast may be because of the country's refusal to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ivory-coast-ex-first-lady-simone-gbagbo-freed-after-amnesty-157974">surrender Gbagbo's wife Simone</a>, despite an outstanding ICC warrant for her arrest.

She was convicted and jailed by the courts there in 2015, but Ouattara granted her an amnesty last year, allow her release after seven years in detention.

Gbagbo's release comes at a particularly tense time in Ivory Coast.

With presidential elections due in 2020, Ouattara has not said whether or not he will run for a second term, and the coalition he formed with Henri Konan Bedie, his former ally against Gbagbo, has collapsed.

Belgium has agreed to take in former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo following his acquittal at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP Saturday.

Belgium has agreed to take in former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo following his acquittal at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP Saturday. But under the terms of his release, he has to remain in a host country until the tribunal rules on whether to grant the prosecutors' request for a new trial. He is also forbidden from contacting witnesses in the case and speaking publicly about it. "In response to a request from the International Criminal Court, Belgium has agreed to take in Laurent Gbagbo," said spokesman Karl Lagatie. "That is also part of the framework of our support for international criminal jurisdictions," he added. Shock acquittal The ICC finally freed Gbagbo on Friday after his shock acquittal last month on charges of crimes against humanity. He and his aide Charles Ble Goude were cleared on January 15 over the wave of violence after disputed elections in the west African nation in 2010. His release was also on condition that he stay in whichever host state accepted him until the court decided whether to let a new trial go ahead. Defence lawyers had argued for the two men's immediate and unconditional release. Under further conditions, Gbagbo also had to surrender his travel documents, report weekly, avoid contacting witnesses in Ivory Coast and refrain from making public statements about the case, the court documents said. According to Belgian press reports, Gbagbo's second wife, 47-year-old Nady Bamba, lives in Belgium. Gbagbo, now 73, was the first former head of state ever to stand trial at the ICC. More than 3,000 people died on both sides after Gbagbo refused to concede defeat to his internationally backed-rival — and now-president — Alassane Ouattara. He had been held by the ICC in the Netherlands since 2011. The ICC's unwillingness to let Gbagbo return to Ivory Coast may be because of the country's refusal to surrender Gbagbo's wife Simone, despite an outstanding ICC warrant for her arrest. She was convicted and jailed by the courts there in 2015, but Ouattara granted her an amnesty last year, allow her release after seven years in detention. Gbagbo's release comes at a particularly tense time in Ivory Coast. With presidential elections due in 2020, Ouattara has not said whether or not he will run for a second term, and the coalition he formed with Henri Konan Bedie, his former ally against Gbagbo, has collapsed.

Belgium to take in ex-Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday extended ceasefires in two conflict-hit states, official media reported, where protest leaders are pushing for anti-government rallies.

Addressing supporters in South Kordofan state, Bashir said his "top priority" was ending fighting which erupted there in 2011.

"We are ready to go to any length to bring peace to this area," Bashir, dressed in military uniform, told a crowd of cheering supporters at a televised rally in the state capital Kadugli.

Since June 2016, Bashir has declared several unilateral ceasefires in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, bringing relative calm to the three war-torn states.

The president later on Monday extended the ceasefires for the latter two states, the official SUNA news agency reported, while no announcement was made for Darfur.

Bashir has been charged by the Hague-based International Criminal Court for alleged genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, accusations he denies.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the three conflicts and millions displaced over the years after ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Khartoum, accusing it of economic and political marginalisation.

Bashir's visit to Kadugli came a day after a protest movement called for demonstrations in the three states, following weeks of anti-government rallies in other parts of Sudan.

The Sudanese Professionals Association pushed for protests in various states and camps for internally displaced people, "to show our people's rejection of the dictator", the group said in a statement on Sunday.

There were no reports of rallies Monday in the three conflict-hit states, which have been devoid of demonstrations apart from a day of rallies in Darfur earlier this month.

Protests in Sudan began on December 19 after the government tripled the price of bread.

They have since spiralled into nationwide rallies against the government of Bashir, who has refused to resign nearly three decades since sweeping to power in a coup.

For years, anger has been mounting across Sudan over growing economic hardships and deteriorating living conditions.

That ire has now spilled onto the streets, with protesters chanting their main slogan: "freedom, peace, justice!" Officials say 30 people have died in protest-related violence since the demonstrations began, while rights groups say more than 40 people have been killed.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday extended ceasefires in two conflict-hit states, official media reported, where protest leaders are pushing for anti-government rallies.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday extended ceasefires in two conflict-hit states, official media reported, where protest leaders are pushing for anti-government rallies. Addressing supporters in South Kordofan state, Bashir said his "top priority" was ending fighting which erupted there in 2011. "We are ready to go to any length to bring peace to this area," Bashir, dressed in military uniform, told a crowd of cheering supporters at a televised rally in the state capital Kadugli. Since June 2016, Bashir has declared several unilateral ceasefires in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, bringing relative calm to the three war-torn states. The president later on Monday extended the ceasefires for the latter two states, the official SUNA news agency reported, while no announcement was made for Darfur. Bashir has been charged by the Hague-based International Criminal Court for alleged genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, accusations he denies. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the three conflicts and millions displaced over the years after ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Khartoum, accusing it of economic and political marginalisation. Bashir's visit to Kadugli came a day after a protest movement called for demonstrations in the three states, following weeks of anti-government rallies in other parts of Sudan. The Sudanese Professionals Association pushed for protests in various states and camps for internally displaced people, "to show our people's rejection of the dictator", the group said in a statement on Sunday. There were no reports of rallies Monday in the three conflict-hit states, which have been devoid of demonstrations apart from a day of rallies in Darfur earlier this month. Protests in Sudan began on December 19 after the government tripled the price of bread. They have since spiralled into nationwide rallies against the government of Bashir, who has refused to resign nearly three decades since sweeping to power in a coup. For years, anger has been mounting across Sudan over growing economic hardships and deteriorating living conditions. That ire has now spilled onto the streets, with protesters chanting their main slogan: "freedom, peace, justice!" Officials say 30 people have died in protest-related violence since the demonstrations began, while rights groups say more than 40 people have been killed.

Sudan president Bashir extends ceasefire in two war zones

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki was to arrive in The Netherlands later Monday ahead of talks with the chief prosecutor of the world's only permanent war crimes court.

Maliki will meet with prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on Tuesday morning just over a week after 62 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire as they protested the US decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem.

Maliki will update Bensouda on the situation in the Palestinian territories and also "submit a referral" on the issue of Jewish settlements during their talks at the International Criminal Court ICC), the Palestinian embassy in The Hague said in a statement.

Afterwards, Maliki will hold a press conference outside the court. He will also meet later Tuesday with Dutch counterpart Stef Blok.

Bensouda vowed last week that she was watching the unrest in Gaza closely and would "take any action warranted" to prosecute crimes.

"My staff is vigilantly following developments on the ground and recording any alleged crime that could fall within" the tribunal's jurisdiction, she warned in a statement to AFP.

"The violence must stop," she insisted, urging "all those concerned to refrain from further escalating this situation and the Israel Defence Forces to avoid excessive use of force."

The Palestinian Authority joined the ICC in January 2015 signing up to the Rome Statute which underpins the world's only permanent war crimes court.

The Palestinians asked the prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes committed in the Palestinian territories in the Gaza war the previous year, and Bensouda opened her inquiry just a few days later.

The preliminary examination which comes ahead of a full-blown investigation continues.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki was to arrive in The Netherlands later Monday ahead of talks with the chief prosecutor of the world's only permanent war crimes court

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki was to arrive in The Netherlands later Monday ahead of talks with the chief prosecutor of the world's only permanent war crimes court. Maliki will meet with prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on Tuesday morning just over a week after 62 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire as they protested the US decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem. Maliki will update Bensouda on the situation in the Palestinian territories and also "submit a referral" on the issue of Jewish settlements during their talks at the International Criminal Court ICC), the Palestinian embassy in The Hague said in a statement. Afterwards, Maliki will hold a press conference outside the court. He will also meet later Tuesday with Dutch counterpart Stef Blok. Bensouda vowed last week that she was watching the unrest in Gaza closely and would "take any action warranted" to prosecute crimes. "My staff is vigilantly following developments on the ground and recording any alleged crime that could fall within" the tribunal's jurisdiction, she warned in a statement to AFP. "The violence must stop," she insisted, urging "all those concerned to refrain from further escalating this situation and the Israel Defence Forces to avoid excessive use of force." The Palestinian Authority joined the ICC in January 2015 signing up to the Rome Statute which underpins the world's only permanent war crimes court. The Palestinians asked the prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes committed in the Palestinian territories in the Gaza war the previous year, and Bensouda opened her inquiry just a few days later. The preliminary examination which comes ahead of a full-blown investigation continues.

Gaza violence: Palestinian foreign minister to press ICC on war crimes probe

The Philippines has given official notice to the United Nations that it is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, which is probing President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s deadly drug war, Manila said Friday.

The move comes two days after Duterte announced his nation would quit the court, and triggered warnings Friday from a top tribunal official that it would harm global efforts to end impunity for the world&#39;s worst crimes.

The ICC, based in The Hague, last month launched a preliminary inquiry into Duterte&#39;s bloody crackdown on narcotics, amid allegations that actions by Philippine security forces amount to crimes against humanity.

Philippine police say they have killed roughly 4,000 suspects who fought back during arrest, but rights groups allege the actual number is three times higher and accuse the authorities of murder.

The ICC opened in 2002 to try abuses in countries where national courts cannot or will not prosecute. Manila joined the Rome Statute in 2011.

But on Thursday the Philippines said in a letter to the UN, which oversaw negotiations to found the court, that it was pulling out of the Rome Statute, the tribunal&#39;s founding guidelines.

&quot;The decision to withdraw is the Philippines&#39; principled stand against those who would politicise and weaponise human rights,&quot; the letter said.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, speaking from Manila, said the Philippines was quitting due to &quot;the well-orchestrated campaign to mislead the international community, to crucify President Duterte... by distorting the human rights situation in the country&quot;.

But the tribunal urged Manila to reconsider its decision, and the president of its governing body, the assembly of state parties (ASP), said he deeply regretted the move.

&quot;A state party withdrawing from the Rome Statute would negatively impact our collective efforts towards fighting impunity&rdquo;, said ASP president, O-Gon Kwon.

&quot;The ICC needs the strong support of the international community to ensure its effectiveness. I encourage the Philippines to remain as a party to the Rome Statute.&quot;

Officially quitting the court requires a year&#39;s notice and does not stop the ICC from continuing its investigation of the killings, which have drawn international concern.

&#39;No impact&#39; on ICC probe&nbsp;

&quot;A withdrawal would have no impact on ongoing proceedings or any matter which was already under consideration by the court prior to the date on which the withdrawal became effective,&quot; the ICC said Friday, its first comment since Duterte&#39;s announcement.

&quot;The court encourages the Philippines to not follow through with the reported/stated intention to withdraw, as it is... an integral part of the international criminal justice system,&quot; it added.

Should the Philippines fully withdraw from the court it would not be the first to do so, as Burundi became the first ever nation to leave in October 2017.

The Philippines said in its letter that it &quot;affirms its commitment to fight against impunity for atrocity crimes&quot;, despite its withdrawal.

Duterte, who is buoyed by high popularity ratings at home, has fiercely defended the drug war as a battle to bring safety to the nation&#39;s 100 million people.

He has frequently urged authorities to kill drug suspects while promising to protect police from legal sanction.

The move comes two days after Duterte announced his nation would quit the court, and triggered warnings Friday from a top tribunal official that it would harm global efforts to end impunity for the world's worst crimes.

The Philippines has given official notice to the United Nations that it is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, which is probing President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drug war, Manila said Friday. The move comes two days after Duterte announced his nation would quit the court, and triggered warnings Friday from a top tribunal official that it would harm global efforts to end impunity for the world's worst crimes. The ICC, based in The Hague, last month launched a preliminary inquiry into Duterte's bloody crackdown on narcotics, amid allegations that actions by Philippine security forces amount to crimes against humanity. Philippine police say they have killed roughly 4,000 suspects who fought back during arrest, but rights groups allege the actual number is three times higher and accuse the authorities of murder. The ICC opened in 2002 to try abuses in countries where national courts cannot or will not prosecute. Manila joined the Rome Statute in 2011. But on Thursday the Philippines said in a letter to the UN, which oversaw negotiations to found the court, that it was pulling out of the Rome Statute, the tribunal's founding guidelines. "The decision to withdraw is the Philippines' principled stand against those who would politicise and weaponise human rights," the letter said. Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, speaking from Manila, said the Philippines was quitting due to "the well-orchestrated campaign to mislead the international community, to crucify President Duterte... by distorting the human rights situation in the country". But the tribunal urged Manila to reconsider its decision, and the president of its governing body, the assembly of state parties (ASP), said he deeply regretted the move. "A state party withdrawing from the Rome Statute would negatively impact our collective efforts towards fighting impunity”, said ASP president, O-Gon Kwon. "The ICC needs the strong support of the international community to ensure its effectiveness. I encourage the Philippines to remain as a party to the Rome Statute." Officially quitting the court requires a year's notice and does not stop the ICC from continuing its investigation of the killings, which have drawn international concern. 'No impact' on ICC probe "A withdrawal would have no impact on ongoing proceedings or any matter which was already under consideration by the court prior to the date on which the withdrawal became effective," the ICC said Friday, its first comment since Duterte's announcement. "The court encourages the Philippines to not follow through with the reported/stated intention to withdraw, as it is... an integral part of the international criminal justice system," it added. Should the Philippines fully withdraw from the court it would not be the first to do so, as Burundi became the first ever nation to leave in October 2017. The Philippines said in its letter that it "affirms its commitment to fight against impunity for atrocity crimes", despite its withdrawal. Duterte, who is buoyed by high popularity ratings at home, has fiercely defended the drug war as a battle to bring safety to the nation's 100 million people. He has frequently urged authorities to kill drug suspects while promising to protect police from legal sanction.

Philippines tells UN it will quit International Criminal Court

President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he was pulling the Philippines out of the treaty underpinning the International Criminal Court, which is examining his deadly drug war.

The outspoken leader, who is accused of stoking the killing of drug suspects with inflammatory statements, has fiercely pushed back since the Philippines became the first southeast Asian nation put under &quot;preliminary examination&quot; by the court&#39;s prosecutors.

The ICC announced last month it was launching a study of the killings, which Philippine police put at 4,000 but rights groups say is actually triple that number.

Officially quitting the court requires a year&#39;s notice and experts say pulling out does not preclude an investigation of the deaths, which have drawn international concern.

&quot;It is apparent that the ICC is being utilised as a political tool against the Philippines,&quot; Duterte said in a statement, adding the ICC examination was &quot;unduly and maliciously created&quot;.

&quot;I therefore declare and forthwith give notice... that the Philippines is withdrawing its ratification of the Rome Statute effective immediately,&quot; he added.

Opened in 2002, the ICC is the world&#39;s only permanent war crimes court and aims to prosecute the worst abuses when national courts are unable or unwilling.

The Philippines, under previous President Benigno Aquino, ratified in 2011 the Rome Statute which underpins the ICC, giving the tribunal authority to investigate crimes on its soil.

Rights advocates and attorneys said quitting the court would not eliminate the possibility of a case before it.

&quot;The Philippines&#39; intention to walk away from the International Criminal Court is unfortunate, but it doesn&#39;t shut the door on the prosecutor&#39;s scrutiny of the government&#39;s horrendous track record of grave abuses,&quot; said Param-Preet Singh of Human Rights Watch.

- &#39;Unprecedented, outrageous attacks&#39; - 
Celeste Mallari, a professor at the Philippines College of Law, said the court can &quot;investigate any acts that have been done from the time the Philippines became a member of the ICC... until one year after we gave our notice of withdrawal&quot;.

However, should the Philippines fully withdraw from the court it would not be the first to do so, as Burundi became the first ever nation to leave in October 2017.

In a wave of unprecedented defections, other African nations -- Zambia, South Africa, Kenya and Gambia -- have also made moves to quit or expressed interest to withdraw as they accused the court of being biased against Africans.

Russia in 2016 dealt the ICC another blow by withdrawing its signature from the Rome Statute.

Duterte, who is buoyed by high popularity ratings in the Philippines, has fiercely defended the drug war as a battle to bring safety to the nation&#39;s 100 million people.

On Wednesday he repeated that defence, citing &quot;baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks on his person as well my administration&quot;.

&quot;The acts allegedly committed by me are neither genocide nor war crimes. The deaths occurring in the process of legitimate police operations lacked the intent to kill,&quot; he added.

But even as early as October 13, 2016, when Duterte had only been in office less than four months, the ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement that she was &quot;deeply concerned&quot; over reports of extra-judicial killings of over 3,000 alleged drug users and pushers.

Adding pressure on Manila, in February, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva raised the country&#39;s human rights record, with Icelandic Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson calling on the Philippines to accept the visit of a UN Special Rapporteur.

Philippine officials had initially said in February that the country was ready to cooperate but asked for fairness.

Duterte&#39;s spokesman Harry Roque also said they would refuse a visit by one such rapporteur Agnes Callamard, who had previously been pressing to investigate the killings.

But Roque has also said the ICC has no jurisdiction over the case because the tribunal was intended as a &quot;court of last resort&quot; and the Philippine courts were fully functioning.

The court is examining his deadly war on drugs which has so far left between 4,000 to 12,000 people dead

President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he was pulling the Philippines out of the treaty underpinning the International Criminal Court, which is examining his deadly drug war. The outspoken leader, who is accused of stoking the killing of drug suspects with inflammatory statements, has fiercely pushed back since the Philippines became the first southeast Asian nation put under "preliminary examination" by the court's prosecutors. The ICC announced last month it was launching a study of the killings, which Philippine police put at 4,000 but rights groups say is actually triple that number. Officially quitting the court requires a year's notice and experts say pulling out does not preclude an investigation of the deaths, which have drawn international concern. "It is apparent that the ICC is being utilised as a political tool against the Philippines," Duterte said in a statement, adding the ICC examination was "unduly and maliciously created". "I therefore declare and forthwith give notice... that the Philippines is withdrawing its ratification of the Rome Statute effective immediately," he added. Opened in 2002, the ICC is the world's only permanent war crimes court and aims to prosecute the worst abuses when national courts are unable or unwilling. The Philippines, under previous President Benigno Aquino, ratified in 2011 the Rome Statute which underpins the ICC, giving the tribunal authority to investigate crimes on its soil. Rights advocates and attorneys said quitting the court would not eliminate the possibility of a case before it. "The Philippines' intention to walk away from the International Criminal Court is unfortunate, but it doesn't shut the door on the prosecutor's scrutiny of the government's horrendous track record of grave abuses," said Param-Preet Singh of Human Rights Watch. - 'Unprecedented, outrageous attacks' - Celeste Mallari, a professor at the Philippines College of Law, said the court can "investigate any acts that have been done from the time the Philippines became a member of the ICC... until one year after we gave our notice of withdrawal". However, should the Philippines fully withdraw from the court it would not be the first to do so, as Burundi became the first ever nation to leave in October 2017. In a wave of unprecedented defections, other African nations -- Zambia, South Africa, Kenya and Gambia -- have also made moves to quit or expressed interest to withdraw as they accused the court of being biased against Africans. Russia in 2016 dealt the ICC another blow by withdrawing its signature from the Rome Statute. Duterte, who is buoyed by high popularity ratings in the Philippines, has fiercely defended the drug war as a battle to bring safety to the nation's 100 million people. On Wednesday he repeated that defence, citing "baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks on his person as well my administration". "The acts allegedly committed by me are neither genocide nor war crimes. The deaths occurring in the process of legitimate police operations lacked the intent to kill," he added. But even as early as October 13, 2016, when Duterte had only been in office less than four months, the ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement that she was "deeply concerned" over reports of extra-judicial killings of over 3,000 alleged drug users and pushers. Adding pressure on Manila, in February, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva raised the country's human rights record, with Icelandic Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson calling on the Philippines to accept the visit of a UN Special Rapporteur. Philippine officials had initially said in February that the country was ready to cooperate but asked for fairness. Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque also said they would refuse a visit by one such rapporteur Agnes Callamard, who had previously been pressing to investigate the killings. But Roque has also said the ICC has no jurisdiction over the case because the tribunal was intended as a "court of last resort" and the Philippine courts were fully functioning.

Philippines' Duterte moves to quit International Criminal Court

Bosco Ntaganda AKA Terminator Tango as he is known to his victims and supporters is seeking to convince the International Criminal Court that he is an innocent warlord. In his testimony at the ICC in Hague, Netherlands, the 43-year-old, Rwandan-born Bosco ruled the country&#39;s war-torn eastern parts for years with his iron fist. He is intimately associated with what would become the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which left 80,000 dead, displaced thousands more and left a deep wound that still torments the victims of his crimes.

He reportedly said to the ICC that the Rwanda genocide has left a deep impact on him and he has vowed to do everything he could to prevent &quot;it happening again&quot;.

In almost 2 years after his trial opened, Bosco Ntaganda took stand for the first time to talk about the events of 2002 and 2003 when his rebel forces rampaged through neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo&#39;s gold-rich Ituri province, murdering and raping civilians and plundering their possessions. In his defense, Ntaganga told the International Criminal Court that he was a young soldier in the Ugandan-backed Rwandan army during the country&#39;s genocide.

&quot;I was young, but was already in the Army and was a soldier.&quot;

He claims to have lost members of his family during the horrific events of genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group.

The&nbsp;Terminator Tango is facing 13 charges of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity committed by his Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC). This militia was drawn from the Hema ethnic group, which according to ICC prosecutors was targeted at the Lendu and other non-Hema groups.

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda during the first trial in 2015 said that Ntaganda was one of the most important commanders involved in the savage ethnic attacks. The ex-rebel leader is charged with ordering hundreds of those deaths.

For a man charged with leading an ethnic war that engulfed the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for two decades and spiraled to encompass armies from 6 African nations, his defense team claims to have 109 witnesses and four experts who could turn around his image as a merciless warlord.

Accusing Bosco of bribing witnesses, prosecutors have imposed tight restrictions on him. In response to that Ntaganda went on a two-week hunger strike last year. He had been evading arrest by the International Criminal Court until eventually turning himself over to the US embassy in Kigali in 2013.&nbsp;

Bosco&#39;s case follows that of his former rebel leader, warlord Thomas Lubanga who was sentenced to 14 years in jail in 2012 on similar charges in the International Criminal Court&#39;s first conviction since it opened in 2002.

Bosco&#39;s trial is significant not only for thousands of victims who await justice for their families, the outcome of his trial is significant also to other active war criminals group in Congo and around the world.

Bosco Ntaganda AKA Terminator Tango vows to ICC to prevent anything similar to the genocide in Rwanda

Bosco Ntaganda AKA Terminator Tango as he is known to his victims and supporters is seeking to convince the International Criminal Court that he is an innocent warlord. In his testimony at the ICC in Hague, Netherlands, the 43-year-old, Rwandan-born Bosco ruled the country's war-torn eastern parts for years with his iron fist. He is intimately associated with what would become the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which left 80,000 dead, displaced thousands more and left a deep wound that still torments the victims of his crimes. He reportedly said to the ICC that the Rwanda genocide has left a deep impact on him and he has vowed to do everything he could to prevent "it happening again". In almost 2 years after his trial opened, Bosco Ntaganda took stand for the first time to talk about the events of 2002 and 2003 when his rebel forces rampaged through neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo's gold-rich Ituri province, murdering and raping civilians and plundering their possessions. In his defense, Ntaganga told the International Criminal Court that he was a young soldier in the Ugandan-backed Rwandan army during the country's genocide. "I was young, but was already in the Army and was a soldier." He claims to have lost members of his family during the horrific events of genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group. The Terminator Tango is facing 13 charges of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity committed by his Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC). This militia was drawn from the Hema ethnic group, which according to ICC prosecutors was targeted at the Lendu and other non-Hema groups. ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda during the first trial in 2015 said that Ntaganda was one of the most important commanders involved in the savage ethnic attacks. The ex-rebel leader is charged with ordering hundreds of those deaths. For a man charged with leading an ethnic war that engulfed the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for two decades and spiraled to encompass armies from 6 African nations, his defense team claims to have 109 witnesses and four experts who could turn around his image as a merciless warlord. Accusing Bosco of bribing witnesses, prosecutors have imposed tight restrictions on him. In response to that Ntaganda went on a two-week hunger strike last year. He had been evading arrest by the International Criminal Court until eventually turning himself over to the US embassy in Kigali in 2013. Bosco's case follows that of his former rebel leader, warlord Thomas Lubanga who was sentenced to 14 years in jail in 2012 on similar charges in the International Criminal Court's first conviction since it opened in 2002. Bosco's trial is significant not only for thousands of victims who await justice for their families, the outcome of his trial is significant also to other active war criminals group in Congo and around the world.

Trial of "Terminator Tango" brings back bitter memories of Rwanda genocide

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called the Western threats of pursuing his indictment in the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his involvement in a deadly offensive against drugs as &quot;bullshit&quot; on Monday.

&quot;You scare me that you will jail me? International Criminal Court? Bullshit,&quot; Duterte said during a speech.

Last month, an ICC prosecutor said the tribunal might have jurisdiction to prosecute the perpetrators of Philippines killings, news agency Reuters&nbsp;reported.

Police figures show Duterte&#39;s campaign has killed more than 2,500 people since he took office on June 30, about three-quarters in police counter-narcotics operations, and the rest believed to be the victims of vigilantes or druglords eliminating rivals or silencing those who could implicate them.

Duterte berated the United States for their hypocritical threats to try him in the international tribunal. There was no mention as to when the threats were made.

Duterte said that the US did not sign to be a part of the international body because they were protecting former president George W Bush.

&quot;America itself is threatening to jail me in the International Criminal Court,&quot; Duterte said. &quot;It is not a signatory of that body. Why? Because at that time, they were afraid Bush would face it.&quot;

US State Department spokesman John Kirby denied awareness of any threat on Monday.

Duterte has dismissed concerns of extrajudicial killings in his war against drugs and continuously insulted and ridiculed United States, European Union and the United Nations.

The brash former mayor and prosecutor said lawyers in Europe were &quot;rotten,&quot; &quot;stupid,&quot; and had a &quot;brain like a pea.&quot; He described the ICC as &quot;useless&quot; and said that he might withdraw from the body following Russia.

There is nothing wrong with threatening to kill bad elements, he said on Monday.

&quot;I will never allow my country to be thrown to the dogs,&quot; Duterte said. &quot;I said, when I was a mayor, &#39;If you destroy my city with drugs I will kill you.&#39;

&quot;Simple as that. ... When was it a crime to say, &#39;I will kill you&#39; in protecting my country?&quot;

(With inputs from Reuters)

An ICC prosecutor last month said the Hague-based tribunal might have jurisdiction to prosecute the perpetrators of Philippines killings

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called the Western threats of pursuing his indictment in the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his involvement in a deadly offensive against drugs as "bullshit" on Monday. "You scare me that you will jail me? International Criminal Court? Bullshit," Duterte said during a speech. Last month, an ICC prosecutor said the tribunal might have jurisdiction to prosecute the perpetrators of Philippines killings, news agency Reuters reported. Police figures show Duterte's campaign has killed more than 2,500 people since he took office on June 30, about three-quarters in police counter-narcotics operations, and the rest believed to be the victims of vigilantes or druglords eliminating rivals or silencing those who could implicate them. Duterte berated the United States for their hypocritical threats to try him in the international tribunal. There was no mention as to when the threats were made. Duterte said that the US did not sign to be a part of the international body because they were protecting former president George W Bush. "America itself is threatening to jail me in the International Criminal Court," Duterte said. "It is not a signatory of that body. Why? Because at that time, they were afraid Bush would face it." US State Department spokesman John Kirby denied awareness of any threat on Monday. Duterte has dismissed concerns of extrajudicial killings in his war against drugs and continuously insulted and ridiculed United States, European Union and the United Nations. The brash former mayor and prosecutor said lawyers in Europe were "rotten," "stupid," and had a "brain like a pea." He described the ICC as "useless" and said that he might withdraw from the body following Russia. There is nothing wrong with threatening to kill bad elements, he said on Monday. "I will never allow my country to be thrown to the dogs," Duterte said. "I said, when I was a mayor, 'If you destroy my city with drugs I will kill you.' "Simple as that. ... When was it a crime to say, 'I will kill you' in protecting my country?" (With inputs from Reuters)

Philippines' Duterte calls threats of International Criminal Court indictment 'bullshit'

The United States said on Tuesday that its soldiers and spies in Afghanistan are not subject&nbsp;to prosecution by the International Criminal Court, and a war crime investigation into their actions would be &ldquo;unwarranted&rdquo;.

ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, on Monday said she is contemplating whether to launch a full-fledged investigation into allegations that US soldiers and CIA operators tortured Afghan prisoners between 2003 and 2014, news agency AFP reported.

However, Washington has not ratified the ICC&rsquo;s founding Rome Statute, and State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the US investigates allegations against its personnel thoroughly, AFP reported.

&quot;We have a robust national system of investigation and accountability that is as good as any country in the world,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

&quot;We do not believe that an ICC examination or investigation with respect to the actions of US personnel in relation to the situation in Afghanistan is warranted or appropriate,&quot; she added. &quot;As we previously noted, the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.&quot;&nbsp;

Last month, criticising moves by some African countries to pull out of the Hague-based court, State Department spokesman John Kirby had said Washington thinks the &quot;ICC has made valuable contributions in the service of accountability&quot;.

However, it has never been suggested that world superpower US would accept international accountability.

Former president George W. Bush&rsquo;s administration authorised the use of &ldquo;enhanced interrogation techniques&rdquo;, including waterboarding, after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Outgoing president Barack Obama abolished such techniques when he took charge in January 2009 and has admitted US troops torutured Afghan prisoner.

&quot;We tortured some folks,&quot; he had said.

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

US has not ratified ICC?s founding Rome Statute and it seems unlikely that the world superpower would accept international accountability

The United States said on Tuesday that its soldiers and spies in Afghanistan are not subject to prosecution by the International Criminal Court, and a war crime investigation into their actions would be “unwarranted”. ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, on Monday said she is contemplating whether to launch a full-fledged investigation into allegations that US soldiers and CIA operators tortured Afghan prisoners between 2003 and 2014, news agency AFP reported. However, Washington has not ratified the ICC’s founding Rome Statute, and State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the US investigates allegations against its personnel thoroughly, AFP reported. "We have a robust national system of investigation and accountability that is as good as any country in the world," she said. "We do not believe that an ICC examination or investigation with respect to the actions of US personnel in relation to the situation in Afghanistan is warranted or appropriate," she added. "As we previously noted, the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and has not consented to ICC jurisdiction." Last month, criticising moves by some African countries to pull out of the Hague-based court, State Department spokesman John Kirby had said Washington thinks the "ICC has made valuable contributions in the service of accountability". However, it has never been suggested that world superpower US would accept international accountability. Former president George W. Bush’s administration authorised the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques”, including waterboarding, after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Outgoing president Barack Obama abolished such techniques when he took charge in January 2009 and has admitted US troops torutured Afghan prisoner. "We tortured some folks," he had said. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US rejects ICC 'war crimes' probe for alleged atrocities in Afghanistan

The International Criminal Court in The Hague on Monday said in a report there was &quot;reasonable basis to believe&quot; that US forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan and CIA detention establishments in 2003 and 2004.&nbsp;

The prosecutors wrote &quot;Members of US armed forces appear to have subjected at least 61 detained persons to torture,&quot; and that Central Intelligence Agency officials are believed to have tortured 27 more.&nbsp;

The prosecutor&#39;s office, headed by Fatou Bensouda said it will decide soon whether to conduct a full investigation.&nbsp;

&quot;These alleged crimes were not the abuses of a few isolated individuals,&quot; the report stated.&nbsp;

&quot;They appear to have been committed as part of approved interrogation techniques in an attempt to extract &#39;actionable intelligence.&quot;

After the September 11, 2001 attack, the US waged a war against Al Qaeda and Taliban and invaded large parts of Afghanistan where their stronghold was believed to be.&nbsp;

CIA facilities in Poland, Lithuania and Romania, were centres where people arrested in Afghanistan were sent to.&nbsp;

The report found that the Taliban, Afghan government were also part of these crimes.&nbsp;

The US is not a member of ICC so it does not come under the jurisdiction of the court. However, Afghanistan, Lithuania, Poland and Romania are, giving it jurisdiction over crimes committed within their boundaries.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Prosecutors wrote 'Members of US armed forces' appeared to have tortured at least 61 detainees and the CIA another 27 elsewhere

The International Criminal Court in The Hague on Monday said in a report there was "reasonable basis to believe" that US forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan and CIA detention establishments in 2003 and 2004. The prosecutors wrote "Members of US armed forces appear to have subjected at least 61 detained persons to torture," and that Central Intelligence Agency officials are believed to have tortured 27 more. The prosecutor's office, headed by Fatou Bensouda said it will decide soon whether to conduct a full investigation. "These alleged crimes were not the abuses of a few isolated individuals," the report stated. "They appear to have been committed as part of approved interrogation techniques in an attempt to extract 'actionable intelligence." After the September 11, 2001 attack, the US waged a war against Al Qaeda and Taliban and invaded large parts of Afghanistan where their stronghold was believed to be. CIA facilities in Poland, Lithuania and Romania, were centres where people arrested in Afghanistan were sent to. The report found that the Taliban, Afghan government were also part of these crimes. The US is not a member of ICC so it does not come under the jurisdiction of the court. However, Afghanistan, Lithuania, Poland and Romania are, giving it jurisdiction over crimes committed within their boundaries. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Hague prosecutors: US forces may have committed war crimes in Afghanistan

Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi&nbsp;woman from Iraq, endured a three-month nightmare as a sex slave of the Islamic State (IS) group. 
 
After her harrowing escape with the help of a fake religious ID nearly two years ago, Murad has a message for world leaders striving to crush the extremists: IS leaders must stand trial for genocide. 
 
&quot;Genocide must be recognised,&quot; Nadia Murad told AFP through a translator in Geneva, on the side of a human rights event held in the Swiss city. 
 
As Iraq wages an offensive against Islamic State, with government forces retaking full control of the jihadist bastion of Fallujah on Sunday, UN investigators are making a renewed push for justice for the jihadists&#39; victims. 
 
The Yazidis, neither Muslim nor Arab, are an ancient religious minority of more than half a million people concentrated near the Syrian border in northern Iraq. 
 
The Islamic State despises the Kurdish-speaking gropu because Yazidis are not &quot;people of the book&quot;, meaning their faith does not adhere to the theological tradition that begins with Abraham of the Old Testament and extends through the Koran. 
 
In 2014, IS jihadists massacred Yazidis in the Iraqi city of Sinjar, forcing tens of thousands of them to flee, and capturing thousands of girls and women as spoils of war. 
 
The UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Syria earlier this month said it had compiled evidence proving that IS was perpetrating a genocide against the Yazidis. 
 
With Iraqi leaders hailing their recent victories over IS in Fallujah and weighing a new operation to flush them out of their northern strongholds like Mosul, Nadia Murad insisted that the need for accountability should not be forgotten. 
 
Forced Islam conversion 
 
She was taken by the Islamic State from her home village in August 2014 and brought to Mosul. 
 
&quot;The first thing they did was they forced us to convert to Islam,&quot; she said. &quot;After conversion, they did whatever they wanted to do.&quot; 
 
During a speech held in December 2015 at the UN Security Council, Murad recounted her so-called &#39;marriage&#39; to one IS captor, who subjected her to horrific abuse. 
 
&quot;I was not able to take any more rape and torture,&quot; she told. She decided to flee. 
 
On the run in Mosul, Murad said she was terrified that no one would help her, but she ultimately found shelter with a Muslim family in the city. 
 
&quot;They made me a fake Islamic ID,&quot; she said, which she used to cross the border into Iraqi Kurdistan. 
 
She lived in a camp for displaced people and, with the support of theYazidi&nbsp;welfare organisation Yazda, relocated to Germany, where she now lives with her sister. 
 
&#39;Roadmap for prosecutions&#39; 
 
The United Nations and several other Western institutions&nbsp;suggested last year that the IS assault on the Yazidis amounted to a premeditated, genocidal effort to exterminate an entire community. 
 
The evidence presented by the UN Commission of Inquiry earlier this month was more conclusive. 
 
COI member and former international prosecutor Carla del Ponte described the commission&#39;s report as &quot;a roadmap for prosecutions&quot;. 
 
Supported by witness testimony, the commission found that IS &quot;sought to erase the Yazidis through killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment&quot;. 
 
Referring heinous, mass crimes to the International Criminal Court often meets obstacles in the UN Security Council for political reasons. 
 
But COI members expressed hope that the&nbsp;Yazidi&nbsp;case could be investigated by The Hague-based International Criminal Court. 
 
Nadia Murad, one of 376 people and organisations nominated for this year&#39;s Nobel Peace Prize, broke down in tears as she told a UN audience the extent to which her people felt abandoned by the international community. 
 
Speaking at a Human Rights Council event in Geneva last week, she said that anger would intensify if the IS attempt to exterminate the Yazidis did not lead to prosecutions. 
 
&quot;For you to regain the trust of the Yazidis will take a lot of work,&quot; she said. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Nadia Murad was held captive as a sex slave. She survived rapes and tortures, and now urges the world to trial IS for genocide

Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi woman from Iraq, endured a three-month nightmare as a sex slave of the Islamic State (IS) group. After her harrowing escape with the help of a fake religious ID nearly two years ago, Murad has a message for world leaders striving to crush the extremists: IS leaders must stand trial for genocide. "Genocide must be recognised," Nadia Murad told AFP through a translator in Geneva, on the side of a human rights event held in the Swiss city. As Iraq wages an offensive against Islamic State, with government forces retaking full control of the jihadist bastion of Fallujah on Sunday, UN investigators are making a renewed push for justice for the jihadists' victims. The Yazidis, neither Muslim nor Arab, are an ancient religious minority of more than half a million people concentrated near the Syrian border in northern Iraq. The Islamic State despises the Kurdish-speaking gropu because Yazidis are not "people of the book", meaning their faith does not adhere to the theological tradition that begins with Abraham of the Old Testament and extends through the Koran. In 2014, IS jihadists massacred Yazidis in the Iraqi city of Sinjar, forcing tens of thousands of them to flee, and capturing thousands of girls and women as spoils of war. The UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) for Syria earlier this month said it had compiled evidence proving that IS was perpetrating a genocide against the Yazidis. With Iraqi leaders hailing their recent victories over IS in Fallujah and weighing a new operation to flush them out of their northern strongholds like Mosul, Nadia Murad insisted that the need for accountability should not be forgotten. Forced Islam conversion She was taken by the Islamic State from her home village in August 2014 and brought to Mosul. "The first thing they did was they forced us to convert to Islam," she said. "After conversion, they did whatever they wanted to do." During a speech held in December 2015 at the UN Security Council, Murad recounted her so-called 'marriage' to one IS captor, who subjected her to horrific abuse. "I was not able to take any more rape and torture," she told. She decided to flee. On the run in Mosul, Murad said she was terrified that no one would help her, but she ultimately found shelter with a Muslim family in the city. "They made me a fake Islamic ID," she said, which she used to cross the border into Iraqi Kurdistan. She lived in a camp for displaced people and, with the support of theYazidi welfare organisation Yazda, relocated to Germany, where she now lives with her sister. 'Roadmap for prosecutions' The United Nations and several other Western institutions suggested last year that the IS assault on the Yazidis amounted to a premeditated, genocidal effort to exterminate an entire community. The evidence presented by the UN Commission of Inquiry earlier this month was more conclusive. COI member and former international prosecutor Carla del Ponte described the commission's report as "a roadmap for prosecutions". Supported by witness testimony, the commission found that IS "sought to erase the Yazidis through killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and inhuman and degrading treatment". Referring heinous, mass crimes to the International Criminal Court often meets obstacles in the UN Security Council for political reasons. But COI members expressed hope that the Yazidi case could be investigated by The Hague-based International Criminal Court. Nadia Murad, one of 376 people and organisations nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, broke down in tears as she told a UN audience the extent to which her people felt abandoned by the international community. Speaking at a Human Rights Council event in Geneva last week, she said that anger would intensify if the IS attempt to exterminate the Yazidis did not lead to prosecutions. "For you to regain the trust of the Yazidis will take a lot of work," she said. (AFP)

Islamic State must stand trial for genocide: Yazidi woman survivor

The International Criminal Court will on Tuesday hand down its sentence against former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba convicted of a slew of rapes and murders in Central African Republic over a decade ago. 
 
The highest-ranking official to date to be sentenced, Bemba will face a three-judge bench at a public hearing at 1:45 pm at the court&#39;s headquarters in The Hague. 
 
Bemba, 53, was found guilty in March of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his private army called the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC), which he sent to neighbouring CAR from October 2002 to March 2003 to put down a coup. 
 
Prosecutors at the ICC have called for a minimum 25-year jail term in the landmark case, the first to focus on rape as a weapon of war by the ICC, which was set up in 2002 to try the world&#39;s worst crimes. 
 
Hours before the sentencing, Bemba&#39;s defence team gave notice late on Monday that he would appeal his conviction. 
 
&quot;The appeal will not be limited to criticism of the trial chamber&#39;s findings, but will also allege that in material respects the whole trial process was flawed and unfair and that Mr Bemba&#39;s rights as an accused were violated throughout,&quot; defence lawyer Peter Haynes said in a filing to the court. 
 
&quot;No reasonable trial chamber could have convicted him of the charges he faced,&quot; Haynes argued. 
 
The trial judges erred because they had &quot;misinterpreted and/or misapplied the law and took an unjustifiable approach to the evidence,&quot; he added, arguing that &quot;there was a mistrial.&quot; 
 
The judges found in their March 21 verdict that the former Congolese vice president turned a blind eye to a reign of terror by some 1,500 of his troops, sent to the CAR to prop up then president Ange-Felix Patasse. 
 
Despite knowing what was happening, Bemba &quot;failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent&quot; a litany of crimes, which included the gang rapes of men, women and children, sometimes as their relatives were forced to watch, the judges said. 
 
As well as the issue of rape as a weapon of war, the Bemba case is also the first at the ICC to focus on a military commander&#39;s responsibility for abuses by his troops, even if he did not order them. 
 
Defence lawyers however say Bemba, who has already spent eight years in detention since his 2008 arrest in Brussels, should be released. 
 
Haynes said on Monday that Bemba was &quot;convicted of a case in which in material respects he was ignorant&quot; and that the former leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo was &quot;not liable as a superior for the actions of the MLC&quot; in CAR. 
 
Call for stiff jail term 
 
In different cases, the ICC has previously sentenced two other Congolese warlords to 14 and 12 years in prison. 
 
Activists warn however that handing down a light sentence against Bemba would fail to send a warning to other military commanders. 
 
The landmark Bemba conviction was hailed at the time, even though many were shocked at how long it had taken for sexual violence to be focused on in an international trial. 
 
American actress Angelina Jolie urged the international community &quot;to build on the important legal precedent&quot; set by the Bemba case so that &quot;we can collectively shatter impunity for the use of rape as a weapon of war and terrorism&quot;. 
(AFP)

Jean-Pierre Bemba will face a three-judge-bench at a public hearing today in The Hague

The International Criminal Court will on Tuesday hand down its sentence against former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba convicted of a slew of rapes and murders in Central African Republic over a decade ago. The highest-ranking official to date to be sentenced, Bemba will face a three-judge bench at a public hearing at 1:45 pm at the court's headquarters in The Hague. Bemba, 53, was found guilty in March of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his private army called the Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC), which he sent to neighbouring CAR from October 2002 to March 2003 to put down a coup. Prosecutors at the ICC have called for a minimum 25-year jail term in the landmark case, the first to focus on rape as a weapon of war by the ICC, which was set up in 2002 to try the world's worst crimes. Hours before the sentencing, Bemba's defence team gave notice late on Monday that he would appeal his conviction. "The appeal will not be limited to criticism of the trial chamber's findings, but will also allege that in material respects the whole trial process was flawed and unfair and that Mr Bemba's rights as an accused were violated throughout," defence lawyer Peter Haynes said in a filing to the court. "No reasonable trial chamber could have convicted him of the charges he faced," Haynes argued. The trial judges erred because they had "misinterpreted and/or misapplied the law and took an unjustifiable approach to the evidence," he added, arguing that "there was a mistrial." The judges found in their March 21 verdict that the former Congolese vice president turned a blind eye to a reign of terror by some 1,500 of his troops, sent to the CAR to prop up then president Ange-Felix Patasse. Despite knowing what was happening, Bemba "failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent" a litany of crimes, which included the gang rapes of men, women and children, sometimes as their relatives were forced to watch, the judges said. As well as the issue of rape as a weapon of war, the Bemba case is also the first at the ICC to focus on a military commander's responsibility for abuses by his troops, even if he did not order them. Defence lawyers however say Bemba, who has already spent eight years in detention since his 2008 arrest in Brussels, should be released. Haynes said on Monday that Bemba was "convicted of a case in which in material respects he was ignorant" and that the former leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo was "not liable as a superior for the actions of the MLC" in CAR. Call for stiff jail term In different cases, the ICC has previously sentenced two other Congolese warlords to 14 and 12 years in prison. Activists warn however that handing down a light sentence against Bemba would fail to send a warning to other military commanders. The landmark Bemba conviction was hailed at the time, even though many were shocked at how long it had taken for sexual violence to be focused on in an international trial. American actress Angelina Jolie urged the international community "to build on the important legal precedent" set by the Bemba case so that "we can collectively shatter impunity for the use of rape as a weapon of war and terrorism". (AFP)

ICC to sentence former Congolese vice-president for war crimes

Judges at the world&#39;s only permanent war crimes court will on Tuesday pass sentence on former Congolese leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, with prosecutors calling for a minimum 25-year sentence. 
 
If the judges agree with the prosecution, it will be the highest jail term ever imposed by the International Criminal Court (ICC)&nbsp;in a case that was the first there to focus on rape as a weapon of war. 
 
Prosecutors blamed the former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of Congo for turning a blind eye to a reign of terror by his troops in the Central African Republic (CAR) from October 2002 to May 2003. 
 
He was found guilty in March of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, after sending some 1,500 troops from his private army into CAR to help quash a coup against the then president. 
 
Bemba&#39;s Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) carried out a series of rapes and murders as they sought to prop up then president Ange-Felix Patasse. 
 
Experts testified that the brutality of the events would have long-term traumatic effects on the victims and their communities. 
 
In their verdict handed down at the end of a trial which began in November 2010, the ICC judges found that despite knowing what was happening, Bemba &quot;failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent&quot; a litany of crimes, which included the gang rapes of men, women and children, sometimes as their relatives were forced to watch. 
 
Bemba, 53, will become the highest level person sentenced at the tribunal based in The Hague. 
 
The prosecution&#39;s request for a 25-year sentence &quot;does reflect the gravity of these crimes,&quot; human rights activist Carrie Comer told AFP. 
 
The ICC has previously sentenced two others convicted there to 14 and 12 years in prison. 
 
Command responsibility 
 
As well as the issue of rape as a weapon of war, the Bemba case was also the first at the ICC to focus on a military commander&#39;s responsibility for abuses by his troops, even if he did not order them. 
 
Defence lawyers have argued that Bemba, who has already spent eight years in detention since his 2008 arrest in Brussels, should be released. 
 
Bemba &quot;did not participate in the crimes. He was not standing there and encouraging his troops... Mr Bemba was not even in the same country,&quot; defence lawyer Peter Haynes said at an ICC hearing last month. 
 
His &quot;culpability arises from his failure to control a small fraction of his troops who were thousands of miles away&quot;. 
 
Activists warn however that a light sentence would fail to send a warning to other military commanders. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s really important that the court recognise the command responsibility,&nbsp;and there&#39;s an opportunity here to provide a deterrent,&quot; said Comer, the permanent representative to the ICC for the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). 
 
&quot;If you knew, or you should have known, that these things were going on and you execute effective control over your troops then, yes, you&#39;re absolutely responsible for&nbsp;not preventing or punishing these crimes.&quot; 
 
The FIDH, which represents some 178 rights organisations from the around the world, is also hoping &quot;the trial chamber will come back with a strong sentence on this in recognition of the particular devastating harm that sexual and gender-based crimes have on victims, their families and their communities at large.&quot; 
 
The landmark Bemba verdict was hailed at the time, even though many were shocked at how long it had taken for sexual violence to be focused on in an international trial. 
 
American actress Angelina Jolie urged the international community &quot;to build on the important legal precedent&quot; set by the Bemba case so that &quot;we can collectively shatter impunity for the use of rape as a weapon of war and terrorism&quot;.

The prosecutor called for a 25-year sentence. He will become the highest level official to be sentenced at the tribunal at Hague

Judges at the world's only permanent war crimes court will on Tuesday pass sentence on former Congolese leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, with prosecutors calling for a minimum 25-year sentence. If the judges agree with the prosecution, it will be the highest jail term ever imposed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a case that was the first there to focus on rape as a weapon of war. Prosecutors blamed the former vice-president of the Democratic Republic of Congo for turning a blind eye to a reign of terror by his troops in the Central African Republic (CAR) from October 2002 to May 2003. He was found guilty in March of five charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, after sending some 1,500 troops from his private army into CAR to help quash a coup against the then president. Bemba's Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC) carried out a series of rapes and murders as they sought to prop up then president Ange-Felix Patasse. Experts testified that the brutality of the events would have long-term traumatic effects on the victims and their communities. In their verdict handed down at the end of a trial which began in November 2010, the ICC judges found that despite knowing what was happening, Bemba "failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent" a litany of crimes, which included the gang rapes of men, women and children, sometimes as their relatives were forced to watch. Bemba, 53, will become the highest level person sentenced at the tribunal based in The Hague. The prosecution's request for a 25-year sentence "does reflect the gravity of these crimes," human rights activist Carrie Comer told AFP. The ICC has previously sentenced two others convicted there to 14 and 12 years in prison. Command responsibility As well as the issue of rape as a weapon of war, the Bemba case was also the first at the ICC to focus on a military commander's responsibility for abuses by his troops, even if he did not order them. Defence lawyers have argued that Bemba, who has already spent eight years in detention since his 2008 arrest in Brussels, should be released. Bemba "did not participate in the crimes. He was not standing there and encouraging his troops... Mr Bemba was not even in the same country," defence lawyer Peter Haynes said at an ICC hearing last month. His "culpability arises from his failure to control a small fraction of his troops who were thousands of miles away". Activists warn however that a light sentence would fail to send a warning to other military commanders. "It's really important that the court recognise the command responsibility, and there's an opportunity here to provide a deterrent," said Comer, the permanent representative to the ICC for the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). "If you knew, or you should have known, that these things were going on and you execute effective control over your troops then, yes, you're absolutely responsible for not preventing or punishing these crimes." The FIDH, which represents some 178 rights organisations from the around the world, is also hoping "the trial chamber will come back with a strong sentence on this in recognition of the particular devastating harm that sexual and gender-based crimes have on victims, their families and their communities at large." The landmark Bemba verdict was hailed at the time, even though many were shocked at how long it had taken for sexual violence to be focused on in an international trial. American actress Angelina Jolie urged the international community "to build on the important legal precedent" set by the Bemba case so that "we can collectively shatter impunity for the use of rape as a weapon of war and terrorism".

Congo's Bemba to be handed landmark war crimes sentence