Lebanese prominent politician applauds ICC’s Bashir warrant
March 6, 2009 (BEIRUT) — The leader of a Lebanese political party issued a statement hailing the arrest warrant issued by International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
“As the decision to indict president Omer Al-Bashir has been issued the international justice enters a new phase that emphasizes the need to prosecute all those complicit in mass crimes that is consistent with human right laws and international conventions that Bashir has bashed against the wall” he said.
Arab media said that Jumblatt is the first politician in the region to publicly back the ICC move.
This week the ICC judges officially charged Bashir for seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity making him the first sitting head of state to be indicted by The Hague based court.
The move drew strong criticisms particularly among people in the Arab world who say that the US and Israeli crimes were allowed to go unpunished in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestinian territories.
Jumblatt blamed Bashir saying he is responsible for the “crisis due to his arrogance and unleashing the Janjaweed in Darfur to commit massacres against civilians that cannot be tolerated in any form”.
However the prominent leader of the religious Druze sect criticized “the double standards” by the international community in handling crimes worldwide.
He gave examples of lack of accountability of Israeli politicians including its Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for what he described as “genocide” during the recent attacks on the Gaza strip.
“Prosecuting the Sudanese president for complicity in Darfur crimes is important to affirm that immunity for presidents and leaders does not give then the right to commit crimes or political assassinations”.
Jumblatt said that the principle of accountability should not be “sliced and diced” in a way that provides impunity for Israel.
Lebanon has witnessed the opening of special tribunal in The Hague to try the suspected assassins of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri in 2005.
Al-Hariri’s son Sa’ad who is also a majority leader in the Lebanese parliament, commented on the event to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) by saying that justice will reach Bashir as part of a growing trend in the region.
The remarks drew a rebuke from the Sudanese embassy in Beirut who said that “linking Al-Hariri’s trial to efforts by the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir is illogical and defies the reality of things”.
“The special tribunal [for Rafiq Al-Hariri] was requested by the Lebanese government to help in investigation then prosecuting Al-Hariri’s assassins”.
“The ICC was forced by the UN Security Council (UNSC) through resolution 1593 in 2005 and was strongly opposed by Sudan on a governmental and popular level. It was not requested by Sudan but part of conspiracy against Sudan president, government and people”.
The Lebanese government has expressed concern over the indictment of Bashir and called on the international community to support the political process in Sudan “away from any steps that could hinder this process or the path of civil peace and stability”.
(ST)