Security Council: No Double Standards on International Justice
Amnesty International believes that there should be no double standards in international justice and no immunity for anyone, under any circumstances, for crimes such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The organization today called on the USA to reconsider its position seeking immunity for its own personnel from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Rome Statute of the ICC enters into force today.
At the Security Council on 30 June, the USA vetoed the extension of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMBIH) as it did not get support for such immunity. It then agreed to a 72-hour extension of UNMBIH's mandate to allow for further discussion.
"We welcome the fact that the other members of the Security Council have stood firm. We call on them and on all other countries committed to the struggle against impunity for the worst possible crimes to continue to give full support to the ICC," Amnesty International said.
"The US position threatens the integrity of the international system of justice as a whole and challenges the universal applicability of one of its most fundamental principles: no immunity for crimes such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity," Amnesty International said as it stressed that the issue goes beyond the fate of UNMIBH or even beyond the ICC.
Amnesty International believes that there should be no double standards in international justice and no immunity for anyone, under any circumstances, for crimes such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The organization today called on the USA to reconsider its position seeking immunity for its own personnel from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Rome Statute of the ICC enters into force today.
At the Security Council on 30 June, the USA vetoed the extension of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMBIH) as it did not get support for such immunity. It then agreed to a 72-hour extension of UNMBIH's mandate to allow for further discussion.
"We welcome the fact that the other members of the Security Council have stood firm. We call on them and on all other countries committed to the struggle against impunity for the worst possible crimes to continue to give full support to the ICC," Amnesty International said.
"The US position threatens the integrity of the international system of justice as a whole and challenges the universal applicability of one of its most fundamental principles: no immunity for crimes such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity," Amnesty International said as it stressed that the issue goes beyond the fate of UNMIBH or even beyond the ICC.