ICC – Adomonline.com https://www.adomonline.com Your comprehensive news portal Wed, 04 Nov 2020 20:31:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://www.adomonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-Adomonline140-32x32.png ICC – Adomonline.com https://www.adomonline.com 32 32 #EndSARS: ICC opens inquiry into Nigeria protests https://www.adomonline.com/endsars-icc-opens-inquiry-into-nigeria-protests/ Wed, 04 Nov 2020 20:31:52 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=1876874 The International Criminal Court has told the BBC that it will “analyse materials” it has received about the violence which hit Nigeria last month following protests against police brutality.

The ICC chief prosecutor’s office said that contrary to an earlier report, it has not already opened a “formal preliminary examination” into the unrest.

For weeks crowds of peaceful protesters gathered in streets in major cities of Nigeria to demonstrate against police brutality.

The protests were held under the #EndSars banner, a reference to demands for the disbandment of the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad, whose officers were repeatedly accused of criminal activity ranging from extortion to extra-judicial killings.

It led to a crackdown, with security forces and armed thugs accused of killing protesters.

Some 51 civilians, 11 police officers and seven soldiers were killed in the unrest, according to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

Rights group Amnesty International said security forces opened fire on protesters at the Lekki toll gate in the commercial hub of Lagos, killing 10 people there.

The military and police rejected Amnesty’s allegation.

Some civil rights have been pushing for the ICC to investigate the violence.

]]> EndSARS protest: Over 100,000 Nigerians sign petition asking ICC to prosecute IGP https://www.adomonline.com/endsars-protest-over-100000-nigerians-sign-petition-asking-icc-to-prosecute-igp/ Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:06:50 +0000 https://www.adomonline.com/?p=1866500 A petition asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest and prosecute the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) of Nigeria, Adamu Mohammed over alleged crimes against humanity has been signed by over 100,000 people. 

In the petition which was shared on Change.Org, the IGP was accused of “unleashing war” against defenseless and innocent Nigerian youths whose only crimes were demanding an end to extortion, harassment, illegal arrests, detentions, and wanton killings by the rogue police unit, SARS. 

It was also alleged that over 10 protesters have been shot dead since the protest took off in Nigeria. 

It reads:

The Nigerian Police under the leadership of the IG of Police , Mohammed Adamu, has unleashed  war against defenseless and innocent Nigerian youths whose only crimes was demanding an end to extortions, harassments, illegal arrests, detentions, and wanton killings by the rogue police unit,SARS.

In the last three days following popular peaceful protests across Nigeria, no less than 10 peaceful protestors have been reportedly shot dead, including Jimoh Isiaq, and countless others arrested and detained by the members of the criminal unit   in the police while the extortions still continue unabated. 

It is within this premise that this petition seeks the support of everyone to compel the International Criminal Court at The Hague to order the arrest and prosecution of the IG of Police, Mohammed Adamu, for crimes against humanity, as the Head of the Nigerian Police that has carried out these heinous crimes against Youths in Nigeria.

]]> Woyome celebrates progress at African Court after ICC 'setback' https://www.adomonline.com/woyome-celebrates-progress-african-court-icc-setback/ Fri, 04 Aug 2017 18:39:18 +0000 http://35.232.176.128/ghana-news/?p=364291 Embattled businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome is celebrating progress of his suit he filed at the African Court in Tanzania tagainst the government of Ghana on the controversial matter of the Gh¢51.2million, he owes the state.
In a statement, the businessman announced the court in Arusha in Tanzania, which Ghana is a signatory to, has established, the government has a case to answer after it demanded a refund of the cash he received as judgement debt.
Woyome has been arguing, the Supreme Court of Ghana violated his human rights when it ruled that he should refund the Gh¢51.2million which he obtained through legal means.

In relation to the establishment of a prima facie case at the African court, the government of Ghana is now required to appoint its lawyers by Thursday August 8, 2017.

Ghana will also be expected to file the state’s response within 30 days after August 8, 2017.
The determination of a prima facie case comes after a similar petition by Woyome at another international court failed.
Woyome petitioned the International Criminal Court in March 2017 but a ruling on Thursday August 3 suggested the under-pressure businessman did not meet the minimum requirement for arbitration.
Even in this rejection by the ICC, Alfred Agbesi Woyome has argued, the judgement proves his claims of unfair treatment by the government of Ghana.
While some may consider the ICC rejection  a setback for Woyome, he believes the opposite is true.
He explained, the ICC rejected his claim because they agree he was not a party to a 2006 contract between the government and Waterville.
If he is not a party, then why would the state ask him to refund 51.2million he was paid in a judgement debt case in 2009.
He says the money he asked for was not because he had a contract with government, but that he suffered from an abrogation of a 2005 procurement process of CAN 2008.

]]> GHC51m judgement debt: ICC throws out Woyome case https://www.adomonline.com/ghc51m-judgement-debt-icc-throws-woyome-case/ Fri, 04 Aug 2017 07:17:37 +0000 http://35.232.176.128/ghana-news/?p=360701 The International Court of Arbitration has thrown out a case business man Alfred Agbesie Woyome filed against the government of Ghana.
In a statement addressed to Woyome and his lawyers Thursday, International court said ” The international court of arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce decided that this arbitration will not proceed article (6(4)); and fixed the ICC administrative expenses at $5000 which is covered by the non-refundable payment already made by the claimant”.
The  Article 6(4) says “The arbitration shall proceed if and to the extent that the Court is prima facie satisfied that an arbitration agreement under the Rules may exist.”

The case, titled “Alfred Agbesi Woyome (Ghana) vs/ REPUBLIC OF GHANA (Ghana)” was  Mr Woyome’s final attempt to defend the judgement paid to him by the state after the Supreme Court ruled last year that he received the money fraudulently.

The apex court ruled that Mr Woyome received the money from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government for an invalid contract between the state and Waterville Holdings Limited in 2006 for the construction of stadia for CAN 2008.
Mr Woyome has, however, refunded GH¢4 million out of the total 51.2 million to state coffers.
Although he subsequently promised to pay the outstanding balance by quarterly instalments of GH¢5 million from April 1, 2017, he has reneged on that promise.

]]> ICC judges to decide whether to release Laurent Gbagbo https://www.adomonline.com/icc-judges-decide-whether-release-laurent-gbagbo/ Wed, 19 Jul 2017 12:47:17 +0000 http://35.232.176.128/ghana-news/?p=311551 War crimes judges will rule whether former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo can be released from prison for the rest of his trial on charges arising from deadly election violence in 2010.
Gbagbo, the first ex-head of state to be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC), has appealed a March decision that he must stay behind bars in a UN detention centre until the end of the legal process.
A five-judge appeals court will “deliver its judgement” on the appeal at 1430 GMT on Wednesday, the court said in a statement. Both Gbagbo, now 72, and his former militia leader Charles Ble Goude, 45, have pleaded not guilty to four charges of crimes against humanity including murder, rape, and persecution

]]> ICC declines to refer S.Africa to UN for not arresting Sudan's Bashir https://www.adomonline.com/icc-declines-refer-s-africa-un-not-arresting-sudans-bashir-2/ Sun, 09 Jul 2017 11:53:48 +0000 http://35.232.176.128/ghana-news/?p=279361 The International Criminal Court on Thursday rebuked South Africa for not arresting Sudan’s president on a genocide warrant when he visited Johannesburg in 2015 but declined to refer Pretoria to the United Nations for possible censure over the lapse.
The ICC indicted Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2008 over the deaths and persecution of ethnic groups in Sudan’s Darfur province between 2003 and 2008. But he has continued to travel internationally, visiting Jordan as recently as March.
The first part of Thursday’s ICC ruling was expected as the war crimes court has consistently rejected arguments put forward by the South African government, namely that it could not arrest Bashir because visiting heads of state at the African Union Summit held in the country enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
ICC judges said that heads of state or government clearly fall under the court’s jurisdiction and cannot be exempted at home or abroad, echoing the conclusion of a South African domestic court.
The second stage of the ruling was surprising as it was the first time the ICC found one of its members had defied its rules, yet took no action by reporting South Africa to the U.N. Security Council or ICC member states for possible censure.
“The decision is something of an indictment of the U.N. Security Council and the (ICC’s) Assembly of State Parties,” ICC expert and legal scholar Mark Kersten told Reuters.
Presiding Judge Cuno Tarfusser, reading a summary of the ruling, noted that past referrals of countries to the Security Council for noncompliance were “futile” in terms of leading to further action and also “not an effective way to obtain cooperation” with the ICC.
BASHIR DENIES WRONGDOING
Bashir denies wrongdoing and has rejected ICC jurisdiction. It was the Security Council itself that referred Sudan’s case to the ICC in 2005.
“It is shocking that other (ICC member states) such as Jordan are also failing in their obligations to arrest Bashir, and this decision makes it clear they do so in flagrant violation of international law,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
The ICC’s decision not to refer South Africa might also be intended in part to dissuade it from pulling out of the court.
In February, the African Union called for member states to leave the ICC over a perceived bias by prosecutors in focusing on African conflicts.
Kenya, Namibia, Burundi and South Africa have threatened to ditch the ICC and Pretoria began the formal withdrawal process last year before being blocked by a domestic court for not getting parliament’s approval first before pulling out.
“I believe (Thursday’s) ruling will raise the costs of withdrawal for South African President Jacob Zuma,” Kersten said.
In The Hague, South African Ambassador Bruce Koloane said that for the time being “(we are) still a member effectively of the ICC, we still have to honour all our obligations”.
In South Africa, opinions on what to do next were divided.
Pretoria’s foreign affairs department said the government would study the ruling “and its implications and seek legal opinion on available options”.
Siphosezwe Masango, who chairs parliament’s international relations committee, said he remained convinced South Africa was right not to arrest Bashir, “a sitting head of state”.
Pretoria’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, said the ICC ruling was an indictment of Zuma’s ANC government, noting it had upheld the domestic court’s position.
“The ANC seems intent on relegating South Africa to the status of a scumbag nation which protects the law-breakers and corrupter of this world,” DA Federal Executive Chairperson James Selfe said.

]]> ICC declines to refer S.Africa to UN for not arresting Sudan's Bashir https://www.adomonline.com/icc-declines-refer-s-africa-un-not-arresting-sudans-bashir/ Fri, 07 Jul 2017 06:41:42 +0000 http://35.232.176.128/ghana-news/?p=275511 The International Criminal Court on Thursday rebuked South Africa for not arresting Sudan’s president on a genocide warrant when he visited Johannesburg in 2015 but declined to refer Pretoria to the United Nations for possible censure over the lapse.
The ICC indicted Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2008 over the deaths and persecution of ethnic groups in Sudan’s Darfur province between 2003 and 2008. But he has continued to travel internationally, visiting Jordan as recently as March.
The first part of Thursday’s ICC ruling was expected as the war crimes court has consistently rejected arguments put forward by the South African government, namely that it could not arrest Bashir because visiting heads of state at the African Union Summit held in the country enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
ICC judges said that heads of state or government clearly fall under the court’s jurisdiction and cannot be exempted at home or abroad, echoing the conclusion of a South African domestic court.
The second stage of the ruling was surprising as it was the first time the ICC found one of its members had defied its rules, yet took no action by reporting South Africa to the U.N. Security Council or ICC member states for possible censure.
“The decision is something of an indictment of the U.N. Security Council and the (ICC’s) Assembly of State Parties,” ICC expert and legal scholar Mark Kersten told Reuters.
Presiding Judge Cuno Tarfusser, reading a summary of the ruling, noted that past referrals of countries to the Security Council for noncompliance were “futile” in terms of leading to further action and also “not an effective way to obtain cooperation” with the ICC.
BASHIR DENIES WRONGDOING
Bashir denies wrongdoing and has rejected ICC jurisdiction. It was the Security Council itself that referred Sudan’s case to the ICC in 2005.
“It is shocking that other (ICC member states) such as Jordan are also failing in their obligations to arrest Bashir, and this decision makes it clear they do so in flagrant violation of international law,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
The ICC’s decision not to refer South Africa might also be intended in part to dissuade it from pulling out of the court.
In February, the African Union called for member states to leave the ICC over a perceived bias by prosecutors in focusing on African conflicts.
Kenya, Namibia, Burundi and South Africa have threatened to ditch the ICC and Pretoria began the formal withdrawal process last year before being blocked by a domestic court for not getting parliament’s approval first before pulling out.
“I believe (Thursday’s) ruling will raise the costs of withdrawal for South African President Jacob Zuma,” Kersten said.
In The Hague, South African Ambassador Bruce Koloane said that for the time being “(we are) still a member effectively of the ICC, we still have to honour all our obligations”.
In South Africa, opinions on what to do next were divided.
Pretoria’s foreign affairs department said the government would study the ruling “and its implications and seek legal opinion on available options”.
Siphosezwe Masango, who chairs parliament’s international relations committee, said he remained convinced South Africa was right not to arrest Bashir, “a sitting head of state”.
Pretoria’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, said the ICC ruling was an indictment of Zuma’s ANC government, noting it had upheld the domestic court’s position.
“The ANC seems intent on relegating South Africa to the status of a scumbag nation which protects the law-breakers and corrupter of this world,” DA Federal Executive Chairperson James Selfe said.

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