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Lebanon: New Action to Ratify the
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
by:
AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL
Public Statement
AI Index: MDE 18/009/2004 (Public)
News Service No: 190
2 August 2004
Embargo Date: 2 August 2004 00:01 GMT
Lebanon: New Action to Ratify the Rome Statute of the International
Criminal Court
Amnesty International (AI) and the Coalition for the International
Criminal Court (CICC) have today launched an action calling on the
government of Lebanon to accede to the Rome Statute for the
International Criminal Court, as part of their campaign to lobby for
universal ratification of the Statute.
Lebanon played an important role in drafting the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and the Rome Statute. It should now demonstrate its
commitment to international justice and encourage other Middle Eastern
states to do the same by acceding to the Rome Statute as soon as
possible, Amnesty International said today. So far, only one other
Middle Eastern state, Jordan, has ratified the Rome Statute, although
several Middle Eastern states have signed it. Since Lebanon did not sign
the Statute before the deadline of 31 January 2000, it needs to sign and
ratify in one step - a process known as acceding.
"We welcome the steps that Lebanon has taken towards joining the
international justice system, and we now urge the government to move
forward with the process of accession," the organization said.
When ratifying the treaty, the government will need to enact legislation
allowing the Lebanese courts to exercise their primary responsibility to
investigate and prosecute crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity
and war crimes and to provide full cooperation with the International
Criminal Court. Amnesty International and the CICC are urging the
government of Lebanon to begin the process of implementing legislation
as soon as possible.
In the past half century, millions of victims of genocide, crimes
against humanity and war crimes have been denied justice, truth and full
reparations. The Rome Statute creates a new system of international
justice to send a clear message to those planning such horrific crimes
that they will no longer enjoy impunity for their actions.
The International Criminal Court requires the support of the whole
international community. Amnesty International welcomes the work of
civil society groups in Lebanon, and a number of Lebanese MPs, in
accelerating the movement for support of the ICC in Lebanon. Amnesty
International and the CICC are encouraging the people of Lebanon and all
people in the Middle East to take part in this action calling on Lebanon
to accede to the Rome Statute as soon as possible. In doing so, they
will be joining the struggle to end impunity for these horrific crimes
forever.
Background
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, adopted on 17 July
1998, provides that the Court will have initial jurisdiction over
genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The International Criminal Court relies on states that have ratified the
Rome Statute to investigate and prosecute people accused of genocide,
crimes against humanity and war crimes in their national courts. The
Court will only step in when national courts are unable or unwilling to
do so.
On June 23, 2004, the ICC Prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, announced the
opening of formal investigations into grave crimes committed in the
Democratic Republic of Congo since 1 July 2002 (the date of entry into
force of the Rome Statute). Last week, on 29 July, he announced the
launch of formal investigations in Uganda. It is reported that over
three million people have died during the conflict in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, many of them victims of crimes within the
International Criminal Court's jurisdiction, including rape, torture,
forced displacement and the illegal use of child soldiers. For nearly
two decades in Uganda, conflict between the government and the Lord's
Resistance Army has resulted in reports of a similar pattern of
systematic human rights abuses.
For more information please check Amnesty International's website at:
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/icc-010804-action-eng
Or contact Amnesty International Lebanon at:
P.O. Box 167155 Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: +9613 - 42 41 66 or +9613 - 46 32 16
Fax: +9611 - 51 20 29 or +9611- 68 75 04
e-mail: amnesty@cyberia.net.lb
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