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Libya Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Libya Herald
Office of the ICC Prosecutor welcomes unsealing of arrest warrant on Libya accused of war crimes
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced yesterday that its Office of the Prosecutor welcomed the unsealing of the arrest warrant for Libyan suspect Saif Suleiman Sneidel. Sneidel is accused of the war crimes of murder, outrages upon personal dignity and torture in eastern Libya in the context of a non-international armed conflict. Mr Sneidel was an officer of Group 50 in the Al-Saiqa Brigade, which participated in an operation launched by the so-called Libyan National Army in Benghazi, known as Operation Dignity, in May 2014. In issuing the arrest warrant in November 2020, the ICC said the Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that Sneidel participated in three executions where a total of 23 people were murdered. These executions took place on or before 3 June 2016, on or before 19 June 2017, and on or about 17 July 2017, in Benghazi or surrounding areas. The Chamber also concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Sneidel is criminally responsible for torture. The original decision, like the Office's application filed in May 2020, was under seal to maximise arrest opportunities and to minimise risks to an ongoing criminal investigation. For this reason, no details of the application or warrant could be provided until this stage, the ICC explained. The Office of the Prosecutor however requested in July 2025 to unseal the warrant due to changes in circumstances, and to increase prospects for arrest. 'The judges' decision to unseal the warrant improves chances of arrest. The Court can now discuss issues related to possible arrest with States, the UN Security Council, and the international community at large, fostering support and cooperation. We hope to create the momentum for Mr Sneidel's arrest and surrender,' said Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan. The Office calls on Libyan authorities to execute the arrest warrant, pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 (2011), which referred the Situation in Libya to the ICC. The OTP seeks to work closely with the Registry and the Court's partners to help secure the suspect's arrest. The Sneidel case falls under alleged crimes related to the 2014-2020 operations, demonstrating the Office's commitment to seek accountability for Libyan victims across multiple lines of inquiry. The investigation into Libya follows four key lines of inquiry: the 2011 violence, crimes in detention facilities, crimes related to the 2014-2020 operations, and crimes against migrants. As the Office pledged to the UN Security Council, the Libya situation continues to be a significant priority. On 16 July 2025, another suspect in the Situation in Libya, Mr Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, was arrested by authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany pursuant to an ICC warrant of arrest for crimes in detention facilities. The case against Mr Sneidel is closely connected to that of deceased ICC suspect Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli. The Prosecution alleges that Mr Sneidel was a close associate of Mr Al-Werfalli, and had an important leadership role alongside him in the Al-Saiqa Brigade. Prior to his death, Mr Al-Werfalli was the subject of two ICC arrest warrants for eight executions in Benghazi, three of which the Prosecution alleges Mr Sneidel participated in. The Office expresses its gratitude to victims and witnesses for their courage and determination to cooperate with the investigation. 'Our Office remains deeply committed to deliver accountability for victims of atrocities in Libya. Results of our work are because of and for them. With their commitment, and with the cooperation and support of all partners, we can make inroads in fighting impunity in Libya and across all situations,' said Deputy Prosecutor Khan.
Boston Globe
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump order on International Criminal Court likely violates First Amendment, judge rules
The stated focus of Trump's executive order is what it characterizes as the court's 'baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel' and the potential arrest of 'current and former United States personnel.' But those objectives, the judge found, have little to do with the work performed by the two plaintiffs, Matthew Smith and Akila Radhakrishnan, who have assisted the court's Office of the Prosecutor with investigations in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Afghanistan. Because of the executive order, lawyers with the American Civil Liberties Union told the court, Smith and Radhakrishnan had suspended their work with the court. Advertisement The United States is not part of the treaty that founded the court, which is based at The Hague, Netherlands. It prosecutes individuals for war crimes and atrocities. An older court at The Hague, the International Court of Justice, issues opinions on broader issues between nations, such as climate change. Advertisement Torresen, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, paused the enforcement of the order while she considers the case, but only for the two plaintiffs. When Smith and Radhakrishnan filed their lawsuit in April, they sought the sweeping relief known as a nationwide injunction that would have blocked the president's order across the country. Torresen's decision appeared to reflect a June ruling by the Supreme Court that curtailed such injunctions. The Trump administration has used the executive order to impose sanctions on four ICC judges; the court's embattled prosecutor, Karim Khan; and Francesca Albanese, a special rapporteur for the United Nations who has worked with the court in its investigation of Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Last year, the court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, as well as the country's former defense minister and three Hamas officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Albanese was assisting the ICC with 'campaigns of political and economic warfare, which threaten our national interests and sovereignty.' Albanese called the sanctions against her 'mafia techniques of intimidation' in a recent phone interview with The New York Times. This article originally appeared in .
GMA Network
25-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Sara Duterte concerned Rodrigo's interim release might be rejected
As a daughter, VP Sara Duterte said she is worried that the tribunal will deny her father's release, considering his physical state. (Screenshot from Inday Sara FB Page) Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday expressed concerns that the interim release of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, might not be granted, following the petition of the Office of the Prosecutor in the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the tribunal. The Vice President said that she has not yet read the recent request by the prosecution for the chamber to reject the defense's call for Rodrigo Duterte's interim release. As a daughter, she said she is worried that the tribunal will deny her father's release, considering his physical state. 'As a daughter, I am concerned that he will not be granted interim release. He is 80 years old, he is not in good health, he's not been eating well and he needs support from familiar people and he needs the care of his family and loved ones,' she said. The Vice President, who is also a lawyer, also questioned the purpose of the provision on the interim release if it would simply be denied to the accused. The prosecution argued that Rodrigo Duterte's continued detention is necessary to ensure his appearance during trial, saying that he does not accept the legitimacy of the legal proceedings against him. It noted the former president's previous remarks against the ICC as well as the petition he filed before the Supreme Court against the cooperation of the Philippine government with the ICC. The prosecution further said that Rodrigo Duterte's allies and family members remain in positions of power. It specifically mentioned VP Sara, noting that the vice president made clear that she views his detention as illegitimate. Rodrigo's release also poses a risk to the ongoing investigation due to the possible opportunity to intimidate or threaten witnesses, as he appears to still wield considerable power, according to the prosecution. Sara Duterte, in response, emphasized that her power and authority as the Vice President do not extend beyond Philippine shores. 'I do not understand the reasoning behind opposing the interim release because of the position of the daughter. Because right now, he is not in interim release. He is detained in the ICC detention unit pero Vice President pa rin ako [but I'm still the VP],' she said. The Duterte patriarch is facing a crimes against humanity case before the ICC over his administration's drug war. Though he is currently under ICC custody, his camp has sought his release to an undisclosed country. In their request, Rodrigo Duterte's camp argued that the former president is not a flight risk. They also cited humanitarian considerations for the interim release, saying that Duterte is already 80 years old. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
ICC prosecution to respond to Duterte's request for interim release
The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution is set to file its response to former President Rodrigo Duterte's request for interim release, which seeks to allow him to stay in a country that has reportedly agreed to receive him. In a statement, the Office of the Prosecutor confirmed that it will submit its position to Pre-Trial Chamber I, addressing the defense's application for Duterte's temporary release while facing crimes against humanity charges. 'The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court will file before the Pre-Trial Chamber I a response to the defense's request for the interim release of Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte,' the prosecution said via email. Duterte, through his lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, is seeking interim release to an unnamed country—its identity redacted in the public version of the 16-page filing—which he says has agreed to accept him and enforce court-imposed conditions. The defense also claims that the prosecution has not objected to the proposed interim release, provided specific conditions laid out in a confidential annex are met. Kaufman argued that Duterte does not meet the threshold for continued detention under Article 58(1)(b) of the Rome Statute, citing no flight risk, no threat to the investigation, and no risk of committing further crimes. '[Redacted] has affirmed its principled willingness to cooperate with the court, and to accept Mr. Duterte onto its territory for the duration of his interim release and enforce conditions of release,' the defense stated. The ICC is currently conducting pre-trial proceedings against Duterte in connection with killings linked to his anti-drug campaign, both during his presidency and his term as mayor of Davao City. A ruling from the Pre-Trial Chamber on Duterte's interim release request is expected following the prosecution's response.
Saba Yemen
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
ICC Prosecutors Reject Israeli Entity's Request to Revoke Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant
Occupied Quds - Saba The Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has asked the court to reject Israel's request to cancel arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. In a ten-page document published late Wednesday, the prosecutors also urged the court to dismiss Israel's request to suspend investigations into the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. The arrest warrants, issued in November 2024, accuse Netanyahu and Gallant of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The prosecutors stated that Israel's request, filed on May 9, 2025, lacks any legal basis, and insisted that the investigation must continue without delay. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
