Bashir applies for US visa to attend UN GA despite ICC arrest warrant: The Sudanese presidency has reported that President Omar Al-Bashir has applied for a United States visa in order to attend the next United Nations General Assembly at the invitation of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The United Nations Secretary-General spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said that she had “no way of confirming whether or not the President of Sudan has applied for a visa… Obviously, the Secretary-General would hope that every Member State is represented at the migration meeting and obviously is at the General Assembly meeting.” The Sudanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Ismail said that the United States cannot refuse to give visas to any other country’s delegation for attending UN activities or they are violating its legal commitment. The visa has been applied for even though there is an active arrest warrant for Al-Bashir at the ICC. (MEMO, Sudan Tribune)
Putin and Russia brought to European Crt of HR on behalf of MH17 victims: The families of victims of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 are suing President Vladimir Putin and Russia for over $330 million in the European Court of Human Rights. MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made missile over Ukraine in 2014 and all 298 passengers and crew died. The claim was filed with the Strasbourg court by a Sydney, Australia legal firm on May 9th, 2016 on behalf of 33 next of kin from Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. Court documents allege that the Russian Federation kept its involvement in the crash hidden, failed to conduct internal investigations and that its cyber warfare unit hacked the Dutch Safety Board investigative website. The Dutch Safety Board found that MH17 was shot out of the sky by a Russian-made-to-air missile by unknown persons. The state coroner, Michael Barnes, found that the six deaths were “part of a gross, mass murder”. The criminal investigation is expected to last until at least October of this year. (The Guardian, BBC, UK Reuters, I24 News)
War crimes suspect to be extradited from Canada to Rwanda; Rwanda calls for countries to prosecute: A Gatineau man, Henri Jean-Claude Seyoboka, will be deported from Canada to Rwanda on charges of war crimes. This decision comes as Rwanda urged countries to prosecute war crimes suspects if they cannot get extradition. In 2010, the United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (UNMICT) was set up to take over and continue the functions of the earlier United Nations body, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). UNMICT says it retains jurisdiction over those who are “most responsible for committing the gravest crimes” during the atrocities of 1994. Seyoboka alleges that he will not receive a fair trial in Rwanda but this decision by the Federal Court casts doubt on his contention. (CBC News, RT)
Bosnia charges member of El Mujaheed unit with war crimes: Mirsad Hodzic, a former Islamic fighter of Egyptian origin, has been charged by Bosnian prosecutors for war crimes allegedly committed in the 1990s conflict while fighting alongside the country’s Muslims. Hodzic was a member of the “El Mujaheed” unit during the 1992-1995 war and used to go by the name Abdallah Hany. The El Mujaheed was known for atrocities and criminal activities, and Hodzic was charged for his role in abducting and torturing two people from their apartment in the town of Travnik. According to a Bosnian prosecution spokesperson, Hodzic has not yet been arrested but has been questioned. (Business Standard)
The post 23 May 2016 – NEWS ABOUT THE COURTS – Bashir seek travel to the US, ECHR suit for MH17 victims, Rwanda and war crimes extradition, and Bosnia war crimes charges appeared first on ICL Media Review.