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WORLD NEWS Friday 6 March 2020
International court approves Afghanistan investigation

THE HAGUE, Netherlands amend the appealed de-
(AP) — International Crimi- cision to the effect that the
nal Court judges autho- prosecutor is authorized to
rized a far-reaching inves- commence an investiga-
tigation Thursday of war tion," Presiding Judge Piotr
crimes and crimes against Hofmanski said.
humanity allegedly com- After a preliminary probe
mitted by Afghan govern- in Afghanistan that lasted
ment forces, the Taliban, more than a decade, Ben-
American troops and U.S. souda asked judges in No-
foreign intelligence opera- vember 2017 to authorize a
tives. far-reaching investigation.
The appellate ruling She said there is informa-
marked the first time the tion that members of the
court's prosecutor has U.S. military and intelli-
been cleared to investi- gence agencies "commit-
gate U.S. forces, and set ted acts of torture, cruel
the global tribunal on a col- treatment, outrages upon
lision course with the Trump personal dignity, rape and
administration. sexual violence against
Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda conflict-related detainees
pledged to carry out an in- in Afghanistan and other
dependent and impartial In this Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019 file image the International Criminal Court, or ICC, is seen in The locations, principally in the
investigation and called for Hague, Netherlands. 2003-2004 period."
full support and coopera- Associated Press Katherine Gallagher, Senior
tion from all parties. Staff Attorney at the Cen-
"The many victims of atro- Afghanistan, which is the wouldn't be in the inter- an investigation of brutal ter for Constitutional Rights,
cious crimes committed in best chance for peace in a ests of justice because the crimes in Afghanistan de- who represents a group of
the context of the conflict generation." expected lack of coop- spite extreme pressure on victims of U.S. detention,
in Afghanistan deserve to His comments reflect long- eration meant convictions the court's independence said the decision "breathed
finally have justice," Ben- held distrust of the ICC by would ultimately be unlike- reaffirms the court's essen- new life into the mantra
souda said. "Today they are the U.S. government. In ly. tial role for victims when all that 'no one is above the
one step closer to that cov- 2018, then-National Secu- That decision drew fierce other doors to justice are law' and restored some
eted outcome." rity Adviser John Bolton said criticism from rights organi- closed," said Param-Preet hope that justice can be
Washington, which has long the court — established in zations who said it neglect- Singh, associate interna- available — and applied
rejected the court's jurisdic- 2002 to prosecute atroci- ed the desire of victims to tional justice director at Hu- — to all."
tion and refuses to cooper- ties throughout the world — see justice in Afghanistan man Rights Watch. Gallagher represented two
ate with it, condemned the " unacceptably threatens and effectively rewarded She added that the deci- men still being held in U.S.
decision while human rights American sovereignty and states that refused to co- sion "also sends a much- detention at Guantanamo
groups and lawyers for vic- U.S. national security inter- operate with the Hague- needed signal to current Bay, Sharqawi Al-Hajj and
tims applauded it. ests." based court. and would-be perpetra- Guled Duran, and the wife
"This is a truly breathtak- A five-judge appellate Even though an investiga- tors of atrocities that justice of a third man who has
ing action by an unac- panel upheld an appeal tion has now been autho- may one day catch up to died.
countable political institu- by prosecutors against a rized, the prospect of sus- them." Bensouda alleges that the
tion masquerading as a pretrial chamber's rejec- pects appearing in court in At a hearing in December, Taliban and other insurgent
legal body," U.S. Secretary tion in April last year of Ben- The Hague any time soon prosecutors argued that groups have killed more
of State Mike Pompeo souda's request to open a remains dim. Like the Unit- pretrial judges at the glob- than 17,000 Afghan civilians
said at a State Depart- probe in Afghanistan. ed States, Afghanistan also al court overstepped their since 2009, including some
ment briefing. "It is all the While acknowledging that opposed the investigation. powers by blocking the 7,000 targeted killings, and
more reckless for this rul- widespread crimes have Rights groups, however, investigation. The appeals that Afghan security forces
ing to come just days after been committed in Af- welcomed the decision. judges agreed. are suspected of torturing
the United States signed ghanistan, pretrial judges "The ICC Appeals Cham- "The Appeals Chamber prisoners at government
a historic peace deal on had said an investigation ber's decision to green light considers it appropriate to detention centers.q

German bishops approve guidelines for abuse case payments

Associated Press report in 2018 concluded by "a central and indepen- German church's point satisfy representatives of
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's that at least 3,677 people dent body on the basis of man on the abuse scandal. victims. They fell short of a
Roman Catholic bishops were abused by clergy in an examination of plausibil- Until now, people could recommendation present-
on Thursday approved Germany between 1946 ity." apply for "payments in rec- ed to the bishops by an in-
new guidelines that likely and 2014 — more than half Their level will be oriented ognition of suffering." dependent working group
will provide for payments of them 13 or younger and toward awards by courts in The bishops' conference last year for payments
ranging up to about 50,000 nearly a third of them altar comparable cases and to- says that payments total- ranging up to 300,000 or
euros ($55,700) each for boys. ward the "upper region" of ling 10.1 million euros to 400,000 euros each.
victims of sexual abuse by A top bishop has apolo- those awards, it said. a little over 2,000 people The details of how to imple-
clergy. gized for the abuse. Such awards range be- have been recommended ment the guidelines are to
The church has been The German Bishops' Con- tween 5,000 and 50,000 since 2011, according to be worked out by this fall.
shaken in recent years by ference said at the end of euros "as a rule, and there the dpa news agency – an The bishops' conference
scandals in several coun- a regular meeting Thursday are also sums that go be- average of some 5,000 eu- stressed that payments are
tries, including Germany. that compensation pay- yond that," said Trier Bishop ros each. "voluntary and indepen-
A church-commissioned ments would be decided Stephan Ackermann, the The new guidelines didn't dent of legal claims."q