International Criminal Court

The South African government has a week to explain to judges why it defied a court order barring the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir from leaving the country.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir flew out of South Africa on June 15, dodging a court order for him to stay as judges weighed up whether he should be arrested over alleged war crimes and genocide.

A South African court issued a temporary ban on Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir leaving the country on June 14 after the International Criminal Court called for him to be arrested at a summit in Johannesburg.

The International Criminal Court has called for South Africa to arrest Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is reported to have arrived in Johannesburg for a summit of the African Union that starts June 14.

The chances of anyone being prosecuted for Syrian war crimes are today smaller than ever, experts say, as realpolitik smothers an increasingly solid mountain of evidence accumulated during the often barbaric four-year conflict.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta told private TV broadcaster Antena 3 on Sunday that if a case in which the criminal prosecution procedure is initiated against him he cannot remain in the prime minister office, but voiced his hope that in 2015 the governments are not changed by 'means of court.'

Photo credit: (c) Liviu SOVA / AGERPRES PHOTO

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda opened a preliminary examination on the situation in Palestine on Friday.

The International Criminal Court on Jan. 5 said Palestinian authorities had formally recognised the court's jurisdiction to investigate crimes allegedly committed during last summer's Gaza war.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas is to apply immediately to join the International Criminal Court, senior officials said Dec. 31, after the U.N. Security Council rejected a resolution on ending the Israeli occupation.        

Chief Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov has met with a delegation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which has arrived in Bulgaria at his invitation.