• About US
  • Our Work
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
  • Login
JFJ - Journalists for Justice
  • Home
  • Communities of Justice
  • Opinion & Analysis
  • Human Rights
  • Elections
  • About US
  • Our Work
  • Careers
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Communities of Justice
  • Opinion & Analysis
  • Human Rights
  • Elections
  • About US
  • Our Work
  • Careers
No Result
View All Result
JFJ - Journalists for Justice
No Result
View All Result

Khan outlines his vision for a vibrant, more efficient new ICC

byThomas Verfuss
December 10, 2021
in The ICC
Reading Time: 2 mins read
A A
ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan QC addressing the ASP20. Photo: ICC-CPI

ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan QC addressing the ASP20. Photo: ICC-CPI

By Thomas Verfuss in The Hague

 

Karim Khan QC, who took over in June as new International Criminal Court chief prosecutor, wants people from the countries concerned to be included in his teams that investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes.

 

RelatedPosts

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova in Ukraine Conflict

Darfur victims to wait longer for justice as Khan’s new strategy faces challenges

New ICC Registrar to take office in April

Most ICC situation countries are in Africa. Khan said a team from the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), based in Europe, cannot be like a “legal commando” parachuted in a situation country. He wants the OTP to do better by  working “in partnership with people who know the country and know the region”. Local team members will “know the cultural sensitivities” and how to engage with people, he said.

 

He learnt the advantages of working this way when he was in charge of defence teams, he explained. The Prosecutor was lead defence counsel for Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto at the ICC and former president Charles Taylor of Liberia at the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL).

 

The British lawyer was speaking during his first encounter with the press at the seat of the court in The Hague.

Khan also wants to improve the internal functioning of his office. Last year an Independent Expert Review concluded that it had a problem of work culture, bullying, and sexual intimidation. He pledged to make sure that the work culture at the OTP meets the “highest ethical and moral standards”.

 

The OTP has been criticised for the acquittal of high-level suspects after years of procedure, such as former president Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast and former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba of the Central African Republic. Khan intends to  improve quality control and ensure the OTP verifies at the early stages that there is sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction when the case is brought before the judges for trial. This means case files should show that there  is “a reasonable chance of conviction” even before an arrest warrant is requested from the pre-trial chamber.

 

The Prosecutor wants a better communication strategy to enable the OTP’s work to be better understood worldwide. He plans to appoint a press spokesperson and get his office to use social media more.

 

Human rights organisations have criticised Khan for “deprioritising” the prosecution of torture allegations against American servicemen in the Afghanistan situation during his first months in office.

 

Instead, he wants to focus on the atrocities committed by Islamic militants. He denied in front of the Hague press corps that he has bowed to pressure from powerful US. “I am not basing decisions on timidity,” he insisted.

 

He explained that he is guided by the gravity of the crimes, and also complained about resource constraints: “The budget is not in proportion with responsibilities.” The ICC budget has been around 150 million euros in the past years. Given the number of investigations and prosecutions it undertakes, that is little compared to other international tribunals and investigations. Khan cited the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), where he had worked, and the UN investigation into crimes of ISIS Islamic militants in Iraq, which he had led.

Previous Post

ICC will have a woman and a French speaker as deputy prosecutors

Next Post

Human rights groups join growing call for prosecution of Yahya Jammeh

Next Post
The TRRC recommends the prosecution of Yahya Jammeh and several senior officials in his administration for their role in committing rape and other forms of SGBV.

Human rights groups join growing call for prosecution of Yahya Jammeh

Please login to join discussion

Recent Posts

  • New marathon international trial in The Hague?
  • ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova in Ukraine Conflict
  • Félicien Kabuga’s IRMCT trial suspended indefinitely over dementia claims
  • Darfur victims to wait longer for justice as Khan’s new strategy faces challenges
  • The Hague to host new Ukraine Damage Register

Follow us on Twitter

JFJ – Journalists for Justice

We call out impunity wherever it occurs; we advocate justice for all victims of atrocity crimes; and we work with people of goodwill everywhere who share our values.

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Loading

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Communities of Justice
  • Opinion & Analysis
  • Human Rights
  • Elections
  • About US
  • Our Work
  • Careers

Copyright © 2019. Journalists for Justice has asserted its right to be recognized as creators and owners of the content here. Reproduction in part or in whole is permitted on condition that JFJ is acknowledged and notified.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.