ICC - ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo urges arrest of indicted criminals, following release of new Darfur documentary
Press Release
ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo urges arrest of indicted criminals, following release of new Darfur documentary
ICC-OTP-20070906-240
On 9 September Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, will address the issue of justice in Darfur at a public discussion following the premiere of the film "Darfur Now" at Toronto’s International Film Festival.
The feature-length documentary by Ted Braun describes what is happening today in Darfur through the experiences of six individuals, including the Prosecutor, each working in their own way to end the crisis.
The documentary describes the case against Ahmad Harun, a former Interior Minister, who allegedly organized a system to slaughter civilians in Darfur and used Janjaweed militia to force more than two million persons out of their villages and into camps.
"Ahmad Harun is a wanted criminal, yet he is now Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and in charge of the camps for displaced people" said the Prosecutor. "He removed people from their villages and now he controls them. "Darfur Now" can raise awareness about this unacceptable situation" he said.
"My job is to help the people of Darfur here and now – to help stop the crimes. Harun is threatening the victims. If he is removed from office, arrested and sent to The Hague, the system that produced the crimes will be broken. To this end, the international community needs to act consistently. Now is the time".
The International Criminal Court is an independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Court is currently investigating four situations - Northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur (Sudan) and the Central African Republic.
For more information please contact:
Ms Nicola Fletcher, Media Liaison Officer at +31 (0)70 515 8071,
Cell +31 (0)65 089 0473
email: [email protected]
In Toronto
Jennifer Trone, Communications Advisor
Cell: +1 917 535 4937
Email: [email protected]
Source: Office of the Prosecutor