AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Public Statement

AI Index: MDE 18/009/2004 (Public)
News Service No: 190
28 July 2004
Lebanon: New Action to Ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
Amnesty International (AI) and the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) have today launched an action calling on the government of Lebanon to accede to the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, as part of their campaign to lobby for universal ratification of the Statute.

Lebanon played an important role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Rome Statute. It should now demonstrate its commitment to international justice and encourage other Middle Eastern states to do the same by acceding to the Rome Statute as soon as possible, Amnesty International said today. So far, only one other Middle Eastern state, Jordan, has ratified the Rome Statute, although several foreign have signed it. Since Lebanon did not sign the Statute before the deadline of 31 January 2000, it needs to sign and ratify in one step -- a process known as acceding.

"We welcome the steps that Lebanon has taken towards joining the international justice system, and we now urge the government to move forward with the process of accession," the organization said.

When ratifying the treaty, the government will need to enact legislation allowing the Lebanese courts to exercise their primary responsibility to investigate and prosecute crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and to provide full cooperation with the International Criminal Court. Amnesty International and the CICC are urging the government of Lebanon to begin the process of implementing legislation as soon as possible.

In the past half century, millions of victims of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes have been denied justice, truth and full reparations. The Rome Statute creates a new system of international justice to send a clear message to those planning such horrific crimes that they will no longer enjoy impunity for their actions.

The International Criminal Court requires the support of the whole international community. Amnesty International welcomes the work of civil society groups in Lebanon, and a number of Lebanese MPs, in accelerating the movement for support of the ICC in Lebanon. Amnesty International and the CICC are encouraging the people of Lebanon and all people in the Middle East to take part in this action calling on Lebanon to accede to the Rome Statute as soon as possible. In doing so, they will be joining the struggle to end impunity for these horrific crimes forever.

Background

The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, adopted on 17 July 1998, provides that the Court will have initial jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The International Criminal Court relies on states that have ratified the Rome Statute to investigate and prosecute people accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in their national courts. The Court will only step in when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so.

The International Criminal Court, located in The Hague in The Netherlands, is now fully operational. Last week, on 29 July the Prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, announced the opening of his second formal investigation, into crimes committed in Uganda since 1 July 2002. For 18 years, the conflict in northern Uganda between the Lord's Resistance Army armed group and government forces has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, resulting in mass displacement, abductions and forced recruitment of child soldiers. Earlier this year on 23 June, the Prosecutor announced his first investigation, into grave crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1 July 2002. It is reported that over three million people have died during the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, many of them victims of crimes within the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction, including rape, torture, forced displacement and the illegal use of child soldiers.

***For more information please check Amnesty International's website at:
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/icc-010804-action-eng
Or contact Amnesty International Lebanon at:
P.O. Box 167155 Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: +9613 - 42 41 66 or +9613 - 46 32 16
Fax: +9611- 51 20 29 or +9611- 68 75 04
e-mail: amnesty@cyberia.net.lb