ICC confirmation hearings for Darfur rebel delayed a week
September 14, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — A judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a ruling today delaying the confirmation of charges hearings against a Darfur rebel chief accused of masterminding a raid on African Union (AU) peacekeepers in 2007.
Last May the ICC judges issued a sealed summons to appear for Bahr Idriss Abu Garda, the leader of the Darfur United Resistance Front (URF) as an alternative to an arrest warrant after he agreed to appear voluntarily before the court.
Abu Garda said he is confidence of his innocence and called on other suspects including Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir to follow path to clear their names.
At procedural hearing the Italian judge Cuno Tarfusser set Oct. 12 for confirmation of charges hearing, after which judges must rule whether the case is strong enough to merit a trial.
The ICC prosecutors charged Abu Garda and other unnamed rebel commanders with leading an attack on African Union (AU) peacekeepers that left 12 soldiers dead and wounded eight others according to court documents.
The counts include war crimes of violence to life, intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material, units or vehicles involved in a peacekeeping mission and pillaging.
The ICC judges have still not made any decision on the other suspected rebels. They met with the ICC prosecutor on August 26th in a close session regarding his November 20th application for the rebel commanders.
Sudan has dismissed the appearance of Abu Garda describing it as a “play” by the ICC prosecutor to pressure Bashir into surrendering himself.
(ST)
BBCs
ICC confirmation hearings for Darfur rebel delayed a week
i think it is time for Sudan,s bashir to appear in courts.
or could be arested at home, whether it is going cause another war or not ,its doesn,t matter at all.Omar basiher must go to courts to depend himself from the international court. thank for the Darfur leader for appearing in the court.
thank
BBCS
Time1
ICC confirmation hearings for Darfur rebel delayed a week
I wish Humar El bashir will live up to his brave rhetorics of talking tough,justice cannot be achieved by talking tough from behind a hole in khartoum.let him be brave like a man and come and stand ICC trail. If he really think he is innocent let him be brave and stand in court and prove to the world that he has nothing to hide.refusing to stand trail shows he is guilty and afriad of justice.