JURIST - Paper Chase: ICC prosecutors to pursue genocide charges against Sudan president

[JURIST] Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] said Monday that they would attempt to charge Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] with genocide. The announcement [Reuters report] came after the ICC ruled last week to permit prosecutors to appeal the decision not to issue genocide charges [JURIST report] against al-Bashir. More evidence will need to be proffered in order for the court to overturn its decision on the genocide charge. The prosecution plans to file its appeal in early July.

The prosecution sought leave of the court in March to appeal the ICC's decision not to indict al-Bashir on three counts of genocide. Instead, al-Bashir was charged with seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The controversial arrest warrant [JURIST news archive] had been sought by ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official profile], who in July filed preliminary charges [text, PDF; JURIST report] against al-Bashir alleging genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed in the Darfur region in violation of Articles 6, 7, and 8 of the Rome Statute [text].