• July 1, 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC now has 121 states parties, has opened investigations in seven countries, and has issued one verdict. Arrest warrants are pending for suspects for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya, Sudan, Uganda, and the Congo, among other locales. Over the last decade, despite some performance problems and inconsistent support from governments, the court has made significant headway, giving rise to increased  expectations wherever the world’s worst crimes occur, as poignantly demonstrated by the signs held by Syrian protesters that read “Assad to The Hague.”  While the ICC is now the primary address for international criminal accountability, its daunting mandate and extended reach have made the flaws in its workings more visible. The 10th anniversary of the ICC also coincides with a new head prosecutor for the court. Fatou Bensouda, who was recently sworn in as prosecutor for a nine-year term, and other court officials face major challenges in meeting these expanded expectations for the court.

  • The entrance of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    July 1 marks the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the first permanent international court with a mandate to investigate, charge, and try people suspected of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes worldwide. At the ripe old age of 10, the court has become a high-profile institution on the world stage -- central to nearly every call for international justice for the most serious crimes.

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International Criminal Court

  • Apr 25, 2013
    The government of Chad should arrest Abdelraheem Mohammed Hussein, the defense minister of Sudan. He is expected to attend a conference in Chad on April 25 and 26, 2013, according to news reports
  • Apr 23, 2013
    Kenya’s new administration should take urgent steps in four key areas to address longstanding human rights challenges, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The administration should ensure that abusive security forces are held to account, protect independent voices, accelerate key police and land reforms, and cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
  • Apr 22, 2013

    Nearly two years have passed since the end of Côte d’Ivoire’s brutal five-month long post-electoral crisis, which resulted in the slaughter of at least 3,000 civilians and the rape of 150 women.

  • Apr 12, 2013
    Kenya's new president missed the opportunity on day one to declare unequivocal commitment to the International Criminal Court and his administration should do so as soon as possible, says campaign group
  • Apr 10, 2013

    A public debate at the UN on April 10 will serve up a revisionist denial of the worst killings in Europe since the end of World War II: the ethnic slaughter in the former Yugoslavia that horrified the world in the 1990s. While the session's ostensible purpose is to take "a closer look at the long-term impact of international criminal justice, in particular as it relates to reconciliation..." it is unlikely much thoughtful discussion will occur. 

  • Apr 9, 2013
    The government of Chad should arrest President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan or bar him entry to the country.
  • Apr 8, 2013

    President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, who are being sworn in April 9, 2013, should ensure full cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), Human Rights Watch said today. Their new government should also uphold and protect the bill of rights in Kenya’s constitution, Human Rights Watch said.

     

  • Apr 8, 2013

    On April 9, 2013, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta was sworn in as Kenya’s president, following a Supreme Court decision rejecting challenges to the March 2013 election. Kenyatta, along with the deputy president-elect, William Samoei Ruto, both face trial (in two separate cases) before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of committing crimes against humanity during Kenya’s 2007-2008 post-election violence.

  • Apr 3, 2013
    The Ivorian government has not yet delivered on its promises of impartial accountability for the serious international crimes from the 2010-2011 post-election crisis, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government should step up support to judges and prosecutors handling these cases so that victims from both sides can finally see justice.
  • Mar 26, 2013

    Congolese human rights activists and victims of abuses allegedly carried out by Bosco Ntaganda’s troops have expressed support and relief at the rebel leader’s transfer to the International Criminal Court.