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ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC on Arrest and Extradition of Suspects in Relation to Crimes Against Victims of Trafficking in Libya

By: Mikaylah Heffernan

Impunity Watch Staff Writer

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – In a recent statement, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC praised the recent arrests of two key suspects of crimes against victims of human trafficking and human smuggling in Libya.

ICC Prosecutor, Karim A.A. Khan KC, briefs the UN Security Council on the Situation in Libya. Photo courtesy of Mark Garten.

“These recent arrests and extraditions are a clear sign that international cooperation works. The collective effort in these two cases is a prime example of what can be achieved when States, agencies, and my Office join forces in pursuit of a common goal. This is the way forward if we want to ensure that no one is above the law and the impunity gap is narrowed,” said Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC.

An unnamed suspect, a 38-year-old man of Eritrean nationality was extradited from Ethiopia to the Netherlands after an investigation by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. The second suspect, Gebremedhin Temesghen Ghebru, a 35-year-old man, also from Eritrea, was extradited from Ethiopia to Italy. This was due to the efforts of Polizia di Stato and the Palermo Prosecutor’s Office.

Both suspects referenced were allegedly involved in smuggling of persons from Africa to Europe, during which the victims were reported to have suffered from brutal violence, including sexual violence, starvation, and extortion. It is important to note that suspects will continue to be presumed innocent, until proven otherwise. Responsibility will be determined by independent judges during the course of future litigation.

The Libya investigation referred to in this statement was unanimously referred to the ICC on the 26th of February 2011, by the United Nations Security Council. Officially opened in March of 2011, the investigation into the Libya situation has produced three cases with multiple suspects, involving charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC continues to indicate that the Libya Situation is a priority to be addressed and encourages continued cooperation among authorities in the pursuit of accountability.

For further information, please see:

ICC – Situation in Libya – 27 Oct. 2022

ICC – Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC on arrest and extradition of suspects in relation to crimes against victims of trafficking in Libya – 21 Oct. 2022

ICC – Statement to the United Nations Security Council on the situation in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, pursuant to UNSCR 1970 – 4 May 2011

 

The Chamber’s Approval of an Additional Thirty-One New Victims in the Trial of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman Opens the Floodgates for Thousands of Potential Victims

By: Marie LeRoy

Impunity Watch Staff Writer

DARFUR, Sudan– On October 3, 2022, the Chamber, in the matter of The Prosecutor v. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, issued a decision admitting thirty-one additional victims to participate in the proceedings and ordering the Registry to begin identifying the potential beneficiaries of reparations. These thirty-one new victims will join the one hundred and forty-two other victims already authorized to participate in the trial.

Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman at his initial appearance before the International Criminal Court. He stands accused of 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, Sudan. Photo curtesy of the International Criminal Court.

On June 6, 2005, the Prosecution reached the conclusion that the statutory requirements for beginning an investigation into the situation in Darfur, Sudan had been met and issued warrants for Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman’s arrest in 2007 and then again in 2020. On June 9, 2020, Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman voluntarily entered ICC custody. The confirmation of charges hearing took place from May 24 through May 26, 2021, and the charges were confirmed on July 9, 2021. During this hearing thirty-one counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity were brought against Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman, having allegedly been committed during the time Mr. Abd-Al-Rahman was a “senior leader of the Militia/Janjaweed in the Wadi Salih and Mukjar Localities”.

On October 3, 2022, the Chamber admitted an additional thirty-one victims to the trial and ordered the Registry to begin the process of “mapping potentially eligible beneficiaries of reparations”. This, the Chamber notes, can include direct and indirect victims of crimes that the accused is ultimately convicted of. The Registry states that the number of potential victims, because of the nature of the charges in this case, could reach the thousands with “at least a few additional hundreds of applications” expected to be submitted by the end of the year.

The Chamber states that anyone who would like to be considered a victim should reach out to Victims Participation and Reparations Service, before they have to make their victim report, by filling out the information for victims form on the ICC website. The applications will be assessed on a case-by case basis.

The Chamber reiterates the fact that this does not affect the fact that the accused remains innocent until proven guilty.

For further information, please see:

ICC- Case Information Sheet – The Prosecution v. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman- July 2022

ICC- Information for victims- Abd-Al-Rahman Case

ICC- Response on behalf of Victims to the Defense “Demande d’autorisation d’interjeter appel de la decision ICC-02/05-01/20-759 – Oct. 7, 2022

ICC- Second decision on the admission of victims to participate in trial proceedings – Oct. 3, 2022

CCJ Ruling on Validity of Same-Sex Rape

By: Megan Gamache

Journal of Global Rights and Organizations, Associate Articles Editor

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled that men can be liable for raping other men. In its February 2022 decision, the Court reversed lower courts’ decisions that Barbados’ Sexual Offenses Act (Act) definition of rape did not apply to sexual intercourse between men.

The Caribbean Court of Justice. Photo Courtesy of Breaking Belize News

The respondent, Alleyne, was charged in Barbados on rape counts by the Commissioner of Police. The CCJ found that the Act now extends to same-sex intercourse. The Act was originally written in 1992 and amended in 2014 to include more general and gender-neutral language. One of the pertinent changes is that Act does away with the terms “man” and “woman” in defining rape in favor of the terms “any person” and “another person.” The CCJ found that these new terms can be used to refer to same-sex sexual offenses.

The sole dissent argued that common law held that only a man could commit rape and only against a woman, and if Parliament wanted to change this common law understanding it must do so explicitly. However, the majority disagreed, and found that Parliament’s embracing of gender-neutral language, Barbados’ commitment to gender equality before the law, and Barbados’ constitutional rights against discrimination all led to a broader definition of rape.

The CCJ acknowledges that buggery, anal sex, is still technically illegal in Barbados. However, the Court declined to broach the legality of buggery with the facts of this case since Alleyne was charged only with rape and not buggery.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights agrees that this is the right decision and a step forward for all victims of rape, including LGBTQ+ people. But this is not the end. The continued legality of buggery, and similar statutes that criminalize consensual same-sex relations, make the legal system discriminatory and unsafe for LGBTQ+ people.

 

For further information, please see:

Breaking Belize News – Caribbean Court of Justice Rules that men can be charged for rape of other men – 2 Feb. 2022

Caribbean Court of Justice Appellate Division – Commissioner of Police v. Stephen Alleyne – 1 Feb. 2022

Organization of American States – IACHR takes note of the decision of the Caribbean Court of Justice concerning rape – 23 Feb. 2022

Citizenship Not Promised: Denial of Citizenship in South America’s Most Welcoming Country

By: Alessa Rodriguez

Impunity Watch News Staff Writer

ARGENTINA – The country with the quickest naturalization process, with only 2 major requirements: being over the age of 18 and residency in Argentina for 2 years, is not as simple as it sounds.

Spanish and Argentinian passports. Photo courtesy of Geraldine Mercado on Pinterest.

Raghda Habbal, a Spanish citizen, moved with her daughters to Argentina in 1991 where she then remarried and had a son, applying for her citizenship in 1992. She did not meet the two years requirement by 3 months, supplementing it with a provision where she acquired property. It was determined that Habbal did not live in the domicile she claimed she did. The judge denied granting Habbal citizenship. Director of Population and Migration declared Habbal’s filings null and void, her presence in Argentina illegal, and ordered her expulsion back to Spain. The expulsion would include her three children, as they were only residents of Argentina.

A federal judge canceled her citizenship application because they believed fraud was involved. Cancelation is allowed if they can prove that the person obtaining citizenship did not meet the conditions. Habbal appealed multiple times, however, a Federal Court of Appeals denyed the appeal as they did not consider it a federal case. She would continue to travel into and out of Argentina from 1994-1996 where Argentina recognized her as a Syrian, Spanish, and Argentine citizen. ˙

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) reviewed the case and determined that administrative sanctions should only be exercised to the extent strictly necessary to protect fundamental rights from what may harm and endanger them. However, since Argentina revoked the Resolution in 2020 against Habbal, it is not up to the IACHR to decide. When a state ceases human rights violations and repairs the victims, the court cannot declare international responsibility regarding the violations. As Habbal could not allege a specific violation of rights, the court considers revocation of the Resolution an adequate reparation and thus Argentina isn’t internationally responsible.

According to the IACHR, the Argentinian courts were within their right to deny Habbal’s citizenship due to the issue of validity of the property she claimed. Therefore, Argentina has not violated the right to judicial protection.  

 

For further information, please see:

IACHR – Cases at the Merits Stage – Judgements – Habbal et al. v. Argentina – 31 Aug. 2022.

Lawyers Argentina – Immigrate to Argentina – 3 Sept. 2022

Where Can I Live – How to Get Argentina Citizenship – 10 Nov. 2020

Court Investigates Ecuadorian State’s Responsibility in Massacres of Uncontacted Indigenous Peoples

By: Alexa Connaughton

Impunity Watch News Staff Writer

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Before the Inter American Court of Human Rights is Tagaeri & Taromenane Indigenous People v. the Ecuadorian State, a case on the responsibility of the Ecuadorian state in three massacres, 2003, 2006, and 2013 of uncontacted indigenous peoples. This case is the first time the Court has tried a case involving uncontacted indigenous peoples.

Alicia Cahuiya, a coordinator on women and families at the National Indigenous Confederation, watches the trial from the audience. Photo Courtesy of Mongabay News.

Uncontacted indigenous peoples live in voluntary isolation, without contact with most of the population. The plaintiffs allege the state failed to protect the uncontacted indigenous peoples and encouraged industry in their allotted land. They argue that these actions put pressure on the rainforest and increased conflict between the local communities leading to these three massacres.

The Tagaeri and Taromenane people live in the northern Amazon of Ecuador. This area is rich in oil and as a result has attracted illegal logging and mining for many years. As companies began to move in, it restricted the indigenous peoples’ ability to move freely. In 1999, the government sectioned off territory for these people, about 3,149 square miles, called the “intangible zone”. Since then, some oil blocks surrounding the zone have begun to encroach, with three posing an immediate risk. The existence of these oil blocks causes strain on the local communities and has been a cause in the three attacks. These indigenous people have a strict dependence on their ecological environment and follow a pattern of seasonal mobility. Thus, any change to their natural habitat poses a great harm to their survival.

In the 2003 attack the Waorani, a neighboring group, entered the intangible zone and attacked the Tagaeri and Taromenane. This attack is alleged to be revenge for a previous attack; however, it was not investigated because the victims did not have national identity cards. Even less is known about the 2006 attack due to the same lack of investigation. After the 2006 attack the regional commission requested Ecuador take precautionary measures to protect the Tagaeri and Taromenane people, but they failed to do so, resulting in the 2013 attack. In this attack another group of Waorani entered the Tagaeri and Taromenane area, killing 25 people and kidnapping two girls who have been living with their captors ever since.

In the present case, the plaintiffs say Ecuador has maintained the disastrous policy of putting oil interests ahead of the rights of local communities and has refused to see the connections and properly investigate the massacres. In bringing this case plaintiffs demand, recognition of the failure of the Ecuadorian state to protect the Tagaeri and Taromenane people and demand the rights of these communities be protected going forward.

In a press release, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights determined that the Ecuadorian state failed to protect and uphold the rights of uncontacted indigenous peoples. However, a decision by the court on this case likely won’t be reached for a few more months but it is important to note that the court’s decision in this case will become jurisprudence for other cases in the future.

 

For further information, please see:

IACHR – Resolución de La Corte – Caso Pueblos Indígenas Tagaeri y Taromenane vs. Ecuador – 18 Aug. 2022

IACHR – Resolución del Presidente – Caso Pueblos Indígenas Tagaeri y Taromenane vs. Ecuador – 19 July 2022

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, OAS – IACHR refers case on Ecuador to the Inter-American Court – 5 Oct. 2020

Mongabay News – First-ever regional court case involving rights of uncontacted peoples awaits verdict – 13 Oct. 2022