Human Rights Watch Calls for Increased Support of International Criminal Court

The Human Rights Watch has issued a statement calling for increased support for the International Criminal Court. The Court' tries cases related to the war crimes and crimes against humanity. The group is calling for those nations with members on the court to take a more proactive approach in supporting this mission. It also called upon United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to increase his support for the court.

"The ICC has no police force of its own, so it needs robust political backing to bring accused war criminals to trial," said Richard Dicker. Dicker is the director of the group's International Justice Program. The Court will become more effective if support for its work increases, according to the HRW statement.

The statement also described the constraints currently facing the Court as it works to bring war criminals to justice. For example, it noted that the Court has issued warrants for the arrest of two Sudanese mean accused of committing crimes against humanity in Darfur. Sudanese officials have been able to ignore the warrants, going so far as to appoint one of the men, Ahmed Haroun, to a government committee that hears complaints related to human rights violations. The other suspect was arrested by the Sudanese officials, but has since been released.

According to Dicker, "The UN and its many members that have joined the court have been far too quiet about Khartoum's frontal assault on the ICC and its blatant disregard for the Security Council resolution that referred Darfur to the court." Khartoum is the capital of Sudan.

The Court is currently engaged in prosecuting cases related to a number of the world's most notorious conflicts, including those in the Central African Republic, Congo, Darfur, and Uganda. The Human Rights Watch statement was quick to point out that, without pressure from the UN and the international community, war criminals could easily escape justice. It noted troubling signs that peace talks in Uganda could lead to impunity for war criminals sought by the Court.

The statement also sought to silence critics who believe that active prosecution of war crimes could jeopardize fragile peace processes currently under way in some of the world's most volatile regions. It pointed to the case of Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia. The Court unsealed Taylor's indictment while the former leader was attending peace talks aimed at ending civil conflict in Liberia. Within months Taylor had stepped down from power. He is currently being tried by the Court.

The International Criminal Court became a reality in 2002, according to information provided on the Court's official website. Since then membership in the Court has grown from 60 to 105 countries. The Court's jurisdiction allows it to hear cases involving genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The Court can only act on a case when no legitimate legal action has been taken at the national level.