ICC UPHOLDS DECISION TO DROP WAR CRIMES CHARGES AGAINST RWANDAN REBEL LEADER

ICC UPHOLDS DECISION TO DROP WAR CRIMES CHARGES AGAINST RWANDAN REBEL LEADER
New York, May 30 2012 12:10PM
Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) today dismissed the Prosecution's appeal against the decision to drop war crimes charges against a Rwandan rebel leader for his alleged role in deadly fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2009.

The unanimous decision by the Appeals Chamber comes more than five months after the Pre-Trial Chamber decided not to confirm the charges against Callixte Mbarushimana and ordered that he be released from the custody of the ICC, which is based in The Hague.

Mr. Mbarushimana, the head of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (known by their French acronym FDLR), was accused of murder, torture, rape, attacks against civilians, the destruction of property, inhuman treatment and persecution.

FDLR forces fought against DRC Government forces, Rwandan Government forces and UN peacekeepers in North Kivu and South Kivu throughout 2009. In the decision handed down last December, ICC judges said there were substantial grounds to believe FDLR soldiers had committed several war crimes in various villages during that period.

However, they added that, while acts amounting to war crimes were likely to have been committed on five of the 25 occasions outlined by prosecutors, there was not enough evidence to show that such acts were part of a course of conduct equalling "an attack directed against the civilian population," as defined under the law for crimes against humanity.

They further found that Mr. Mbarushimana did not provide any contribution to the commission of the alleged crimes.

In a news release, the Prosecution said it took note of the Appeals Chamber's decision today and is "evaluating the decision to see whether it is possible to present a new case against Mr Mbarushimana presenting additional evidence, in accordance with the Judges' ruling.".

The ICC is an independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes if national authorities with jurisdiction are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely.

In addition to DRC, the Office of the Prosecutor is currently carrying out investigations in six other situations: northern Uganda, the Darfur region of Sudan, the Central African Republic, Kenya, Libya and Côte d'Ivoire.
May 30 2012 12:10PM
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