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WORLD NEWS Saturday 2 July 2022
International Criminal Court marks 20th anniversary

By MIKE CORDER process of international jus-
Associated Press tice,” Khan said.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands “If we work in a collective
(AP) — The International manner, I am confident
Criminal Court marked the that international justice
20th anniversary of its es- can accelerate and ad-
tablishment Friday as its vance and have the re-
prosecutors probed war quired impact,” he added.
crimes in countries around Human rights organiza-
the world, including what tion Amnesty International,
one expert called a “make however, criticized pros-
or break” investigation in ecutors’ decisions in recent
Ukraine. years including to no inves-
The court, long criticized for tigate alleged crimes by
tackling only crimes in Afri- British forces in Iraq and to
ca and failed prosecutions “deprioritize” a probe into
of senior leaders in Kenya allegations of crimes by U.S.
and Ivory Coast, now has personnel in Afghanistan.
investigations underway in Amnesty International’s
17 countries, from Afghani- Secretary General Agnès
stan to Ukraine, although Callamard said that the
the majority of cases are in “glimmer of hope” the
Africa. The exterior view of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, March 31, 2021. ICC’s establishment had
David Crane, the found- Associated Press offered for victims of crimes
ing chief prosecutor of the that the perpetrators would
Special Court for Sierra Le- against Ukraine, the ICC ties to carry out arrests, get- members of the court and be brought to justice has
one that convicted former must be the lead in hold- ting suspects to The Hague accept its jurisdiction, but dimmed.
Liberian President Charles ing President Vladimir Pu- has been a problem from global powers the United “But it has appeared to
Taylor and others as war tin accountable. This is the the outset and is likely to States, Russia and China veer off course in recent
criminals, said the Hague- ICC’s moment. They have remain a critical stumbling do not. That means that if years, with recent decisions
based ICC is a crucial le- to get this right.” The court block to meting out justice. Prosecutor Karim Khan’s in- by the ICC Prosecutor rais-
gal institution despite some has registered only three And that justice does not vestigations in Ukraine lead ing concerns that the court
criticism of its work. war crimes convictions and come cheap. The court’s to charges against Russian may be heading towards
“The ICC is the cornerstone five for interfering with jus- budget for 2022 is nearly suspects, Moscow is not a hierarchical system of
now of how we deal with tice in the 20 years since its 155 million euros ($161 mil- likely to willingly make them international justice,” she
atrocity crimes at the in- founding treaty, the Rome lion), and it has spent more available for trial in The added in a statement that
ternational level,” Crane Statute, came into force than 2.2 billion euros ($2.3 Hague. also criticized the prosecu-
told The Associated Press. on July, 1, 2002. Without a billion) over its two-decade Friday’s anniversary should tion office’s move to seek
“With the aggression by police force of its own and life. be a moment to “reflect voluntary funding for its
the Russian Federation relying on national authori- A total of 123 countries are and to try to refresh the Ukraine investigation.q

Julian Assange appeals to UK court against extradition to U.S.

By FRANK GRIFFITHS charges of espionage and pressure to intervene, but
LONDON (AP) — WikiLeaks one charge of computer last month Prime Minister
founder Julian Assange has misuse. Anthony Albanese reject-
appealed against the Brit- American prosecutors ed calls for him to publicly
ish’s government decision say the Australian citizen demand that Washington
last month to order his ex- helped U.S. Army intel- drop its prosecution of As-
tradition to the U.S. ligence analyst Chelsea sange.
The appeal was filed Friday Manning steal classified Assange’s supporters and
at the High Court, the lat- diplomatic cables and mili- lawyers maintain he was
est twist in a decade-long tary files that WikiLeaks later acting as a journalist and is
legal saga sparked by his published, putting lives at entitled to First Amendment
website’s publication of risk. protections of freedom of
classified U.S. documents. To his supporters, Assange is speech. They argue that
No further details about the a secrecy-busting journalist the case is politically moti-
appeal were immediately who exposed U.S. military vated, that he would face
available. wrongdoing in Iraq and Af- inhumane treatment and
Assange’s supporters ghanistan. be unable to get a fair trial
staged protests before his A British court ruled in April in the U.S. Buildings are reflected in the window as WikiLeaks founder Julian
51st birthday this weekend, that Assange could be Assange remains in Lon- Assange is taken from court, where he appeared on charges
with his wife Stella Assange sent to face trial in the U.S., don’s high-security Bel- of jumping British bail seven years ago, in London, Wednesday
among people who gath- sending the case to the U.K. marsh Prison, where he has May 1, 2019.
ered outside the Home Of- government for a decision. been since he was arrested Associated Press
fice on Friday to call for his Home Secretary Priti Patel in 2019 for skipping bail dur-
release from prison. signed an order on June 17 ing a separate legal battle. den to face allegations of much time had elapsed,
Julian Assange has battled authorizing Assange’s ex- Before that, he spent seven rape and sexual assault. but British judges have kept
in British courts for years to tradition. years inside the Ecuador- Sweden dropped the sex Assange in prison pending
avoid being sent to the The Australian government ian Embassy in London to crimes investigations in No- the outcome of the extradi-
U.S., where he faces 17 has been under mounting avoid extradition to Swe- vember 2019 because so tion case.q