Le Bureau du Procureur

The Office of the Prosecutor

OTPWeeklyBriefing

NEWS Issue#111 1to9February 2012 TheProsecutorandDeputyProsecutorvisitedEstoniawith

ProsecutorandDeputy ProsecutorvisitEstonia

the ASP President and held meetings with the Prime MinisterandtheMinistersofForeignAffairsandJustice
78 February The Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor travelled to Tallinn, Estonia, following an invitation from the Estonian Government.Theyheldhighlevelmeetingsinter alia with Mr. Andrus Ansip, Prime Minister of Estonia, Mr. Urmas Paet, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Kristen Michal, Minister of Justice, with whom they discussed matters of mutual cooperation, as well as the strong support expressed by Estonia to the work of the OTP and the Court. Ambassador Tiina Intelmann, ASP President, alsoparticipatedintheirmeetings. The Prosecutor, Deputy Prosecutor and ASP President participated in a conference organized at Tallinns University of Technology on International Criminal Court as a prominent actor in international order: Its prospects and challenges.

OTPholdssecond informalmeetingwith AmbassadorsattheCourt

OTPholdssecondinformalmeetingforAmbassadorsattheCourt
9FebruaryTheOTPhelditssecondinformalmeetingwithAmbassadorsof interested States at the seat of the Court, with a view to providing information in relation to the activities of the Office in the coming months. As in 2011, the Office aims to increase the predictability of its decisions, allowingStatestofactorintheCourtsinterventionintheirpoliticaldecisions and to maximize the preventative role of the Rome Statute. 85 persons participated,includingseveralrepresentativesofnonStatesParties. The Prosecutor, Deputy Prosecutor, JCCD Director and Head of the International Relations Task Force (IRTF) briefed the participants on the OTPs current work and the transition to the new Prosecutor of the Court. During themeeting, theOTP also discussed the prospects foritsactivitiesin the situations of Kenya,Cte dIvoire and Libya,aswellasforthearrestsofBoscoNtaganda,theleadersoftheLordsResistanceArmyandtheoutstandingarrest warrants in the Darfur situation. Finally, the OTP also followedup on its recently issued report on preliminary examinations, providing a summary of recent preliminary examinations activities in eight ongoing situations. Issues of budgetandgovernancewerealsoraised,includingissuesofarrestandcooperation.

OTPActivities
OVERVIEW
7situationsunderinvestigation 14casesinrelationto24persons 9outstandingarrestwarrants 8preliminaryexaminationsin4differentcontinents Phases 1initialappearance 2casesbeforePreTrialChambers 6casesbeforeTrialChambers

I.PreliminaryExaminations

PreliminaryexaminationsrefertotheanalyticalprocessbywhichtheOTPassesseswhetherthereisareasonablebasistoproceedwithan investigationinagivensituation. In accordance with Article 15 of the Statute, the OTP proactively gathers and evaluates information from multiple sources, including communicationsfromindividualsandpartiesconcerned(phase1initialreview).Followingasequentialprocess,andirrespectiveofthe mechanism by which the jurisdiction of the Court is triggered, the Office then applies the same legal criteria laid out in Article 53 of the Statute, namely temporal/territorial/personal jurisdiction (phase 2a), subjectmatter jurisdiction (phase 2b), admissibility, including complementarityandgravity(phase3)andtheinterestsofjustice(phase4). Currently, the OTP is conducting preliminary examinations into eight situations: Palestine (phase 2a), Afghanistan, Honduras, Korea and Nigeria(phase2b),Colombia,GeorgiaandGuinea(Phase3).

24 communications that may fall under Article 15 were received by the Office in the month of January. 8 of these communicationsweremanifestlyoutsidethejurisdictionoftheCourt;16communicationswarrantedfurtheranalysisorwere linkedtoasituationalreadyunderanalysis.ThetotalnumberofArticle15communicationsreceivedtodateis9,355ofwhich 4,395weremanifestlyoutsidethejurisdictionoftheCourt.

8 February OTP met with representatives from the International Center for Transitional Justice, the Afghanistan Human RightsandDemocracyOrganization,theAfghanistanAnalystsNetworkandAssociacioperalsDretsHumansalAfghanistan (Association for Human Rights in Afghanistan) in relation to the OTPs preliminary examination of the situation in Afghanistan,todiscussrecentdevelopments,civilsocietyperspectives,andprospectsforaccountability.

II.InvestigationsandProsecutions

1.SituationintheDemocraticRepublicoftheCongo(DRC)Referred:April2004InvestigationOpened:June2004
Trials TheProsecutorvThomasLubangaDyilochargedwithwarcrimesagainstchildrencommittedintheIturiregion20022003 Status:Trialfinishedon26August2011,pendingjudgment TheProsecutorvGermainKatangaandMathieuNgudjoloChuichargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringthe attackofthevillageofBogorointheIturiregionon24February2003 Status:Defencecasepresentationconcluded,closingoralstatementssettostarton15May2012 ConfirmationofChargesHearing TheProsecutorvCallixteMbarushimanachargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity,includingmassivesexualviolence, committedintheNorthandSouthKivus20092010 Status:PreTrialChamberIdeclinestoconfirmthecharges(16December2011);OTPisseekingleavetoappeal WarrantPending TheProsecutorvBoscoNtagandachargedwithwarcrimesagainstchildrencommittedintheIturiregion20022003 Issued:22August2006

TheProsecutorvCallixteMbarushimana

21JanuaryTheAppealsChamberprovidedreasonsforits20December2011decisionfindinginadmissibletheProsecutions appeal against the PTCI decision of 19 December 2011 denying the confirmation of charges and ordering the Suspects immediatereleaseanditsalternativeappealagainstthePTCIdecisionof20December2011denyingtherequesttostaythe Suspectsrelease.Itconsideredthattheconfirmationdecisioncouldnotbeappealedunderarticle82(1)(b)onthegroundthat theordertoreleasetheSuspectwasalogicalconsequenceofthedecisionnottoconfirmthecharges,anddidnotservetoalter thenatureofthedecisiontoadecisiongrantingordenyingrelease.Italsofoundthatthe20December2011decisioncould not be appealed under article 82(1)(b) because the decision dealt only with the procedural question of whether the confirmationdecisionshouldhaveimmediateeffect.Itdeniedthevictimsrequesttoparticipateintheappealproceedingson thegroundthatanydelayforproceduralreasonsinthedeliveryoftheadmissibilitydecisioncouldhaveaffectedhisrelease and potentially jeopardised his fundamental right to liberty. The Prosecution filed a request to seek leave to appeal on 27 December2011. 2.SituationinUgandaReferred:January2004Investigationopened:July2004
WarrantsPending TheProsecutorvJosephKonyetal.chargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringLRAsinsurgencyactivitiesin NorthernUganda20022004 Issued: 8 July 2005. On 11 July 2007, PreTrial Chamber I ordered to terminate the proceedings against Raska Lukwiya. On 8 November 2007,theOTPsubmittedinformationtothePTConthereporteddeathofVincentOtti.

3.SituationinDarfur,theSudanReferred:March2005Investigationopened:June2005
Trial TheProsecutorvAbdallahBandaAbakaerNourainandSalehMohammedJerboJamuschargedwithwarcrimescommittedduringanattack againsttheHaskanitaAUpeacekeepingbaseinNorthDarfuron29September2007 Status:Chargesconfirmed,trialdatetobeset Prosecutiontopresentadditionalevidence TheProsecutorvBaharIdrissAbuGardachargedwithwarcrimescommittedduringanattackagainsttheHaskanitaAUpeacekeepingbase inNorthDarfuron29September2007 WarrantsPending TheProsecutorvOmarAlBashirchargedwithwarcrimes,crimesagainsthumanityandgenocidecommittedaspartofthecounter insurgencycampaigninDarfur20032008(atleast) Issued:4March2009&12July2010 TheProsecutorvAliKushaybandAhmadHarunchargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringtheattacks againstthecivilianpopulationinDarfurAugust2003March2004 Issued:27February2007

5FebruaryMusaHilal,includedontheUNSecurityCouncilsanctionslistsinceApril2006forfreezingofhisfinancialassets andimpositionofatravelbanonhim,wasquotedassayinghehastravelledtofourcountriesrecently.Hisdaughterrecently wedtoChadianPresidentIdrissDebyandthereceptionwasattendedbyheadofUNDarfurpeacekeepingmissionIbrahim GambariandSudanesePresidentAlBashir.GambariwastoldbytheUNtoavoidsuchencountersinfuture. 4.SituationintheCentralAfricanRepublic(CAR)Referred:January2005Investigationopened:May2007

Trial TheProsecutorvJeanPierreBembaGombochargedwithwarcrimesandcrimesagainsthumanity,includingamassiverapecampaign, committedinCARbetween26October200215March2003 Status:Prosecutioncasepresentationongoing

5.SituationinKenyaOTPrequesttostartinvestigation:November2009Investigationopened:March2010
Trials TheProsecutorvWilliamSamoeiRutoandJoshuaArapSangchargedwithcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringthepostelectoral violenceinKenyaonorabout30December2007endJanuary2008 Status:Casesenttotrialon23January2012,dateoftrialtobeset TheProsecutorvFrancisKirimiMuthauraandUhuruMuigaiKenyattachargedwithcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringthepost electoralviolenceinKenya2428January2008 Status:Casesenttotrialon23January2012,dateoftrialtobeset

3FebruaryMr.RutosDefenceTeamandMr.SangsDefenceTeamrequestedleavetoappealtheconfirmationdecisionand alsoappealedtheMajoritysfindingsintheconfirmationdecision.Similarly,onthesameday,Mr.MuthaurasDefenceTeam requestedleavetoappealtheMajorityconfirmationdecision. On 30 January, the Muthaura and Kenyatta Defence appealed against jurisdiction in the decision on the confirmation of charges,submittingthattheMajorityerredin:(i)determiningthatmaterialjurisdictionismet;(ii)dismissingthejurisdictional challenge brought by the Kenyatta Defence; (iii) determining that the organization definition issue is not an independent argument; (iv) adopting an incorrect interpretation of the notion of organisation; (v) fundamentally changing the Prosecutors presentation of the facts by suggesting that the Mungiki alone represented the organisation; and (vi) concludingthattheMungikiqualifiedasanorganisation.Theyrequestedthattheirappealhavesuspensiveeffect. On3February,theProsecutionopposedtheDefenceapplicationsforleavetoappealtheconfirmationdecisiononthegrounds that none of the issues raised by the Defence constitutes an appealable issue and that they additionally do not fulfil the requirementsforleavetoappealunderarticle82(1)(d). 6.SituationinLibyaReferred:February2011Investigationopened:March2011
WarrantsPending TheProsecutorvSaifAlIslamGaddafiandAbdullahAlSenussichargedwithcrimesagainsthumanitycommittedduringattacksonthe civilianpopulationbytheLibyanSecurityForces15Februaryatleast28February2011 Issued:27June2011;PreTrialChamberIorderedtheterminationofthecasetheProsecutorv.MuammarGaddafi,afterProsecutionrequest(22 November2011)

7.SituationinCtedIvoireOTPrequesttostartinvestigation:June2011Investigationopened:October2011
Warrantexecuted The Prosecutor v Laurent Gbagbo charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed after the November 2010 Ivorian elections. Issued:23November2011(underseal) Status:initialappearanceon5December2011;confirmationofchargeshearingsetfor18June2012

III.ArrestsCooperation

9PERSONSSOUGHTBYTHECOURT

TheProsecutorv BoscoNtaganda(moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:DRC,inandaroundGoma TheProsecutorv JosephKonyetal(moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:variously,atdifferenttimes,intheborderareabetweenDRC,CARandSouthSudan

 7 February At the UN Security Council briefing, the DRC representative Charlotte Omoy Malenga highlighted the importanceofsteppingupeffortstotackletheLRAthreat,describingarmedgroupsandpeacebuildingandthepriorityof priorities. TheProsecutorv SaifAlIslamGaddafiandAbdullahAlSenussi (moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:Libya TheProsecutorv AhmedHarunandAliKushayb (moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:SouthKordofan,Sudan(A.Harun) Sudan(A.Kushayb)

3FebruaryAhmadHarunreportedlyaddressedaconferenceoftheNativeAdministrationattheWesternSectorofSouthern KordofanState,arguingthatSouthSudanhadbaseditspolicyonwartodivertattentionfromitsfailureasagovernment,that it was waging a proxy war for its own interest, and that he expected a direct war with the Sudan. He called on the Native Administration to live up to its role and establish a coherent national front. He expressed satisfaction with the victories achievedbytheSudanArmedForcesthusfar. TheProsecutorv OmarHassanAhmadAlBashir(moreinformationhere) Currentlocation:Khartoum,Sudan

2FebruaryThe18thAUHeadsofStateAssembly,heldinAddisAbaba,discussedthereportoftheAUCommissiononthe implementation past decisions to delay the proceedings against President Al Bashir. The Assemblyurgesallmemberstatesto complywiththeAssemblydecisionsonthewarrantsofarrestissuedbytheICCagainstPresidentAlBashir,saidtheresolutionpassed bytheAssemblyofheads.Meanwhile,UNSecretaryGeneralBanKiMoonhasurgedtheAUtorespecttheworkoftheICC and cooperate: ICCisanindependentjudicialorganization,independentoftheUNandtheAU.Theirworkhastoberespected.They haveanobligationtocooperatewiththeICCbecausetheCourtmakesitsdecisionsbasedonprovenfacts. 6FebruarySouthSudanPresidentcalledonPresidentAlBashirtosurrenderhimselftotheICCinanaddresstomembersof theSudanPeoplesLiberationArmyinJuba.HereiteratedhisthreattosueKhartoumoveroilitconfiscatedsincelatein2011. KiirdownplayedthewarningmadebyBashirlastweekthatwarhasbecomearealpossibility.IfBashirwantstofightusin Juba,wewillmeethiminJudathesaid.

IV.OtherCooperation

V.UpcomingEvents

February

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7 Prosecutorand Deputy Prosecutor travelto Tallinn, Estonia,for bilateral meetings 14 Deputy Prosecutor participate inthe

8 Prosecutorand Deputy Prosecutor travelto Tallinn, Estonia,for bilateral meetings 15 Deputy Prosecutor participate inthe

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Conference Justiceforall? 10yearreview oftheICCand sideeventsin Sydney, Australia 20 27

Conference Justiceforall? 10yearreview oftheICCand sideeventsin Sydney, Australia 21

Conference Justiceforall? 10yearreview oftheICCand sideeventsin Sydney, Australia 22

Justiceforall? 10yearreviewof theICCandside eventsinSydney, Australia

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VI.OtherInformation

*ThisdocumentreflectstheviewsoftheOfficeoftheProsecutoroftheICC.Formoreinformation,contactMrs.OliviaSwaakGoldman,InternationalCooperationAdviser intheOfficeoftheProsecutor,atOlivia.SwaakGoldman@icccpi.int