ICC OTP says it plans to ask Chamber to open investigation into Russia / Georgia crimes:
The Presidency of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has assigned the Situation in Georgia to Pre-Trial Chamber I. Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor, submitted a notice prior to the assignment of her intention to submit the request to a Pre-Trial Chamber to open an investigation. Once the request has been submitted, the Judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I; Judge Joyce ALuoch (presiding), Judge Cuno Tarfusser, and Judge Peter Kovacs, will decide whether or not to authorize the Prosecutor’s request for an investigation. The Prosecutor has concluded that there is a reasonable basis, by the information available, to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court were committed in Georgia during the armed conflict of August 2008. On 5 September 2003, Georgia deposited its instrument of ratification to the Rome State. The Prosecutor will release a public statement following the request under article 15(3) of the Rome Statute. In 2009, Human Rights Watch said that crimes had been committed on all sides during the week long conflict between Russia and Georgia. (Reuters, ICC Website) (For additional information please click here)
ECCC Supreme Court Chamber announces dates on Apple hearing for Case 002: A scheduling memo by the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, released 6 October 2015,, said that appeal hearings are set in Case 002/01 for November 16-18, with notice to parties that additional witness hearings could be scheduled prior to the appeal hearing, still. The Khieu Samphan and Nuon Chea teams had requested at least five weeks for the appeals, while the prosecution only requested one week to 11 days. Samphan defender Anita Guisse stated that she was asking for the time necessary so she could defender her client properly. Chea defender noted that the consideration for extra time should take into account witness summons and the modest human resources of the defense in comparison to the prosecution. (The Phnom Penh Post)
Colombia public prosecutor asks court to investigate former president for 1997 massacre:
Eduardo Montealegre, Colombia’s chief prosecutor, told local media on Tuesday, 6 October 2015 that he called on the country’s Supreme Court to investigate former president Alvaro Uribe’s possible role in a 1997 massacre carried out by paramilitaries. Montealegre added that, “the peace process [in Colombia] must be built without impunity, and that includes eliminating impunity for paramilitaries, and for members of state forces that committed serious human rights abuse.” A peace deal is anticipated to come through in Colombia in 2016 and the call to investigate the alleged war crimes derives from an intense debate over who should be tried for those crimes. More than 22,000 people died in Colombia’s war between the state, rebels, paramilitaries, and drug cartels since 1960 and over six million have been displaced. (Vice News)
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