ICC Prosecutor announces the appointment of Mohammed Ayat as Special Adviser on regional cooperation with MENA

Today, 15 March 2013, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced the appointment of Mohammed Ayat as special adviser providing the Office with expertise and advice on regional cooperation with MENA.

“Mr Ayat is a renowned expert in his field who will greatly contribute to the work of the Office of the Prosecutor by enhancing and strengthening cooperation with MENA”, said Prosecutor Bensouda.

Mr Ayat is currently a professor of law at Mohammed V University and Member of the Moroccan National Council on Human Rights. He previously served as Senior Legal Advisor to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. He was also his Personal Representative in liaison with the Rwandan Government and Diplomatic Community. In 2008 he was elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Additionally, Mr Ayat contributed to A World Study on Conflicts, Victimization and Post-Conflict Justice. In this research project, he was in charge of the North African Region. He has also contributed to the drafting of the UN model codes of Transitional Criminal Justice as an expert for the Arab and Islamic world. Mr Ayat has written extensively in his area of expertise, and his publications include books and articles on Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminology. He periodically trains lawyers in the MENA region on International Criminal Justice and Human Rights.

Special Advisers to the ICC Office of the Prosecutor are persons with recognized expertise in their field, who provide advice to the Prosecutor at her request or on their own initiative on training, policies, procedures and legal submissions. They work on a pro-bono basis and as all ICC staff, are required to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Mohammed Ayat's Curriculum Vitae