ICC assigns Cote d’Ivoire crimes to pre-trial chamber

[TGD]

THE Presidency of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has assigned the situation in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire to Pre-Trial Chamber II following the letter of May 19, 2011, by which the Prosecutor informed the President of the Court of his intention to submit a request to the Pre-Trial Chamber for authorisation to open investigations into the situation in Côte d'Ivoire since November 28, 2010.

It was assigned to Judge Sang-Hyun Song (President), Judge Fatoumata Dembele Diarra (First Vice-President) and Judge Hans-Peter Kaul (Second Vice-President).

Fadi El Abdallah, Associate Legal Out-reach Officer, said at the weekend that although Côte d'Ivoire, which is not party to the Rome Statute, had accepted the jurisdiction of the ICC on April 18, 2003; more recently, and on both December 14, 2010 and May 3, 2011, the Presidency of Côte d'Ivoire has re-confirmed the country's acceptance of the jurisdiction.

President Alassane Ouattara was at the weekend formally inaugurated after months of violence following former ruler Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to concede defeat and vacate the office after more than a decade in power.

Abdallah said after a preliminary examination, the ICC Prosecutor concluded that there is a reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the court have been committed in Côte d'Ivoire since November 28, 2010.

"Noting the letter of the President of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire of May 3, 2011 re-confirming that declaration; and noting the letter from the Prosecutor of May 19, 2011, hereto annexed, the Prosecutor informed the President of the Court, in accordance with Regulation 45 of the Regulations of the Court of his intention to submit a request to the Pre-Trial Chamber under  Article 15 (3) of the Statute for authorisation to open investigations into the situation in the  Republic of Cote d'Ivoire since November 28, 2010, having drawn the conclusion that there is  a reasonable basis to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the court have been  committed in the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire since November 28, 2010," Abdallah said.

Separately, the government of Grenada has deposited its instrument of accession of the Rome Statute of the ICC to the UN. The Statute will enter into force for Grenada on August 1, 2011, bringing the total number of States Parties to the Rome Statute to 115.

Abdallah said the ICC applauded Grenada's decision to join the international community's efforts to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes that threaten the peace, security and well-being of the world.

He said President of the Assembly of States Parties, Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, welcomed the accession by Grenada, which took place immediately after the seminar held by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the ICC in Port of Spain on May 16-17, where he had participated and exchanged views with government representatives on how to enhance universality and the implementation of the Statute in the region.

The accession by Grenada, which brings to 12 the number of CARICOM members that are parties to the Rome Statute, constitutes a re-affirmation of the region's commitment to international criminal justice in general and the ICC in particular, as it was from the region that the initiative for the establishment of an international criminal court began in 1989. The Assembly looks forward to having the entire membership of CARICOM join the Rome Statute in the near future.

Source: ICC assigns Cote d'Ivoire crimes to pre-trial chamber