In the early 2000s, a brutal conflict in western Sudan between the government and rebels led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Darfuris, with millions displaced as refugees. In 2004, the United States declared Sudan’s actions a genocide.

After that spike in attention and concern, the world has largely forgotten about Darfur. Unfortunately, the government of Sudan has not.

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE

Les militants abolitionnistes de la peine de mort en République Démocratique du Congo, regroupés au sein de la coalition d’Afrique Centrale contre la peine de mort, ont   commémoré ce 7 janvier 2016 à Kinshasa le 13ème anniversaire de la dernière exécution de la peine de mort. Un point de presse pour marquer cet important évènement a été fait à cette occasion par Maitre Liévin NGONDJI, président de l’ONG Culture pour la Paix et la Justice, CPJ en sigle  et Mr Baudouin KIPAKA BASILIMU, secrétaire exécutif du Réseau des associations et militants abolitionnistes de la peine de mort en RDC, le RADHOMA en sigle.

The past 14 December 2015, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has finalized its move into its new, permanent premises, located at Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK, The Hague, the Netherlands. The ICC required a functional purpose-built premises to effectively fulfil its mandate in the fight against impunity for perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.

"As a permanent institution, the ICC now has a permanent home. It offers essential features for the court to work more efficiently, provide protection for witnesses and victims, and ensure fair and transparent proceedings. As such, the new, purpose-built premises will greatly assist us in our mandate of providing justice to victims and helping to establish accountability for – and thus helping to prevent – the most serious international crimes", said ICC President Judge Silvia Férnandez.

The design of the building reflects the transparency of the institution and its innovativeness. It combines striking architecture with stringent security measures, while showcasing best practices in sustainability and respect for nature, within the natural dune landscape between The Hague and the North Sea. As part of The Hague's International Zone, it is near Peace Palace, Europol, ICTY, OPCW and other international organisations. The host state, the Netherlands, made the site available free of charge.

The building complex consists of six towers that are connected on the ground and first floors and offer over 1,200 workplaces. The largest tower, the Court Tower, accommodates three courtrooms and the media centre. The public area on the ground floor will welcome visitors to the public galleries of the Courtrooms as well as a visitor centre and café.

Since its opening on 1 July 2002, the ICC was temporarily located in two buildings on the other side of The Hague. In December 2007, the Assembly of States Parties decided that the ICC should be provided with newly built permanent premises. In 2010, following an international competition, the Danish firm schmidt hammer lassen was selected to design the new premises and in October 2012 Courtys, a consortium of the VolkerWessels subsidiaries Visser & Smit Bouw and Boele & van Eesteren, was chosen for the realisation. Construction work started on 16 April 2013.

The project has been funded by States Parties, and its total cost, including the move, is around 204 million euros.

From 21 to 27 January 2016, the confirmation of charges hearing in the Dominic Ongwen case was held at the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is an important case for many reasons, one of which is this post’s subject: the case includes a high number of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) charges, which, if confirmed, would be the broadest range of such crimes ever to come to trial at the ICC. It would certainly illustrate that the positive trend in this respect that started with the Ntaganda case continues, and would consolidate important case law on these crimes.

We attach the interview with Jordi Palou-Loverdos, a member of BPI-ICB ICB published in the Diari Ara.

Jordi Palou-Loverdos: "The UN has sought to judge and condemn the losers"

Defense lawyer for eight Spanish families victims of violence in Rwanda.

Barcelona lawyer Jordi Palou-Loverdos trying for years to families victims killed in the savage violence Rwandan find and receive justice, but as crimes committed in 1997 and 2000 have had no place in the jurisdiction of International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and legislative change in Spain makes it difficult moment can prosecute those responsible, quoting the principles of international justice.

The lawyer, Mr. Tahir Elçi was killed last Friday. The BPI-ICB condemns this fact and expresses its condolences to his family, to his colleagues and to the rights of lawyers.

Attached is a letter from the president of the UIA collective member of the BPI-ICB, which shows his rejection of this fact.