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"We cannot endorse a toothless court which cannot fully investigate serious war crimes, which is blocked from taking up atrocities
committed in civil wars and which allows tyrants to block their own prosecution."
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Richard Dicker Human Rights Watch |
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Richard Dicker called on the Rome majority to "stand firm against the United States lobbying campaign or any other government that attempts to kneecap this court. The United States is undermining the growing international consensus for a strong court."
"We cannot endorse a toothless court which cannot fully investigate serious war crimes, which is blocked from taking up atrocities committed in civil wars and which allows tyrants to block their own prosecution," said Dicker, who leads the ICC campaign for the New York-based Human Rights Watch.
Statistics compiled by Human Rights Watch from Monday's debate show
that:
These majorities include the 60-member "like-minded" group comprising Canada, Australia and virtually all European countries (except France), as well as countries such as South Korea, South Africa, Philippines, Senegal, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
In a statement last Thursday, the head of the United States delegation, Ambassador David Scheffer, stunned diplomats with the threat that the U.S. would "actively oppose this Court" unless the U.S. prevailed in limiting the court's authority. "We hope other countries do not cave in to blackmail by the United States, which will not ratify the statute in any event," said Dicker.
Even if other countries succumb to all U.S. demands, however, Scheffer only held out the promise that he "could seriously consider favorably recommending to the United States Government that it sign the ICC treaty at an appropriate time in the future."
For further information in Rome, contact:
Richard Dicker: (mobile) 39 335-345-629
Reed Brody: (mobile) 39
348-3349972
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