Fatou Bensouda, New ICC Prosecutor |
Human
Rights Watch (WRW), one of the world’s most respectable human rights agency, on
Thursday said the swearing in of the new International
Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor comes at a time when “expectations
for international justice are growing.”
Gambia’s
former Justice Minister, Fatou Bensouda was sworn into office on June 15, 2012,
as the current prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, reaches the end of his nine-year
term.
Bensouda is taking over an established office with an already sizeable caseload, HRW said, citing investigations opened by the ICC in seven countries and it’s conducting of preliminary examinations to determine whether to open an investigation in at least seven other countries.
Bensouda is taking over an established office with an already sizeable caseload, HRW said, citing investigations opened by the ICC in seven countries and it’s conducting of preliminary examinations to determine whether to open an investigation in at least seven other countries.
“In Syria and
other strife-torn countries over the past 10 years, the ICC has come to
symbolize the last, best hope for justice,” said Richard
Dicker, international justice director at Human Rights Watch. “We
look to Bensouda’s leadership to advance cases, build bridges with victims, and
push countries to support its impartial application of the law to get the job
done.”
Bensouda
has served as deputy prosecutor of the ICC since 2004 and was elected to be the
ICC’s next prosecutor by the court’s member states in December 2011.
But Human Rights Watch says among Bensouda’s many difficult tasks will be bringing new prosecutions in country situations already before the ICC, while remaining responsive to demands in new country situations.
“Some governments seem to think that the ICC is a light switch that can be
turned off when justice becomes inconvenient,” Dicker added. “Bensouda can push
back against those seeking to politicize the court by signaling a clear
commitment to delivering justice in the courtroom.”
HRW also demanded from all member states to make it a priority at the upcoming November 2012 meeting to elect a deputy prosecutor who has demonstrated excellence in dealing with complex criminal cases and institutional management. This, it said, will Bensouda with meeting the demands of an expanding caseload.
The
agency argues that the absence of charges against government officials without
a clear explanation in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda,
and Central African Republic (CAR), has undermined
perceptions of the court's independence.
“The
perceived failure to pursue allegations against all sides in these countries
has fed concerns that the prosecutor is yielding to pressure for “victor’s
justice,” damaging the court’s credibility,” it said.
Shortly after taking her oath on Friday, Bansouda vowed to pursue justice for the victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, with specific attention to women and children.
She
also promised to pursue perpetrators of genocide, war
crimes and crimes against humanity.
"We
should not be guided by the words and propaganda of a few influential
individuals whose sole aim is to evade justice but, rather, we should focus on,
and listen to the millions of victims who continue to suffer from massive
crimes," she told Diplomats and Judges present at the ceremony in The
Hague.
"The
one thing you can rest assured of is that I will be the prosecutor for all 121 State Parties, acting in full independence and
impartiality," added Bensouda, who previously worked at the UN
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Tanzania.
Written by Modou S. Joof
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