'Putting Bashir on trial would be a boost for the International Criminal Court'
Who should try the fallen Sudanese president Bashir? The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague wants to put the former dictator on trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur, but the Sudanese military is refusing to hand him over and wants to try him in their own country.
It would be good for the International Criminal Court if Bashir were to be extradited, says Professor of International Criminal Law & Global Justice Carsten Stahn in Austrian newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung. 'It would be an important impetus for the ICC that has little to show for its sixteen years of existence.' In all those years there have only been three convictions and another failure would not do the Court’s credibility any good.
If the case does come before the ICC, Stahn expects it to be a difficult process. 'If you want to take legal action against the head of state, you will need witnesses who were close to Bashir. Taking that into account, the prospects don’t look good.'