ICC Holds First Hearing in Case of Sudan’s Ali Kushayb

Arab World

May 24th, 6:36am

Khartoum - Ahmad Youness

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda during her visit to Sudan in October. AFP file photo

The International Criminal Court is set to hold on Monday its first major hearings in the case of Sudanese Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, who is accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes. The charge sheet against him includes dozens of counts of murder, torture, persecution, and rape. At the hearings, also known as the “confirmation of charges” proceedings, ICC judges will assess if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial. Kushayb voluntarily surrendered on June 9, 2020, and the ICC announced he was in court custody. On April 27, 2007, the ICC issued the first arrest warrant against Kushayb, which charged him with 50 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes for his alleged responsibility for rapes, destruction of property, inhumane acts, and attacks and killing of civilians. The second arrest warrant was issued in 2018, adding three more charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for murder and inhumane acts committed in the village of Deleig and surrounding areas of Darfur in March 2004. Other remaining ICC suspects face charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed in Darfur, including Ahmed Haroun, former state minister for humanitarian affairs and former governor of Southern Kordofan state; Abdulraheem Mohammed Hussein, the former defense minister; and Abdallah Banda Abakaer, leader of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement in Darfur. All except for Banda are in Sudanese custody. On Sunday, ICC Spokesperson. Fadi El Abdallah said other suspects may be added to the case, based on Kushayb’s confessions. Security Council Resolution 1593, passed in 2005, referred the Darfur situation to the ICC prosecutor and called on the Sudanese government and other parties to the conflict to cooperate fully with the court and its prosecutor.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2989146/icc-holds-first-hearing-case-sudan%E2%80%99s-ali-kushayb