New York, December 11, 2024—The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) will accompany more than 10 Sudanese victim stakeholders to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to attend the closing statements in the case of The Prosecutor v. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman ("Ali Kushayb"). The statements are scheduled for December 11 to 13.
Abd-Al-Rahman is charged with 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed between 2003 and 2004 in Darfur, Sudan. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for him in 2007. He was transferred to ICC custody on June 9, 2020, following his voluntary surrender in the Central African Republic. His trial opened before the ICC’s Trial Chamber I on April 5, 2022, and involved the participation of 1,592 victims.
“This is a landmark case,” noted ICTJ’s Executive Director Fernando Travesí. “It is so far the first and only trial holding a leader accountable for serious crimes allegedly committed in Darfur. The Sudanese stakeholders who will attend the closing statements will witness that international justice continues to pursue perpetrators of mass human rights violations regardless of the passage of time.”
ICTJ supported the ICC in the selection and mobilization of the stakeholders, who were chosen for their strong ties with affected communities and their ability to assist with disseminating accurate information about the trial upon return. It is hoped that the attendance of these stakeholders at the closing statements will be meaningful to their own sense of justice and healing, as well as beneficial to victims who are unable to join.
“The role of community leaders, media, and civil society representatives is crucial,” stressed ICC’s Director of the External Operations Division Christian Mahr. “We hope that the participants of this visit will share the insights gained here with their communities in Sudan and the Sudanese diaspora abroad to enhance meaningful access to justice and to strengthen support for the ICC’s mandate among those whom it concerns the most."
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PHOTO: Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman stands before the ICC's Trial Chamber I during the opening statement and presentation of evidence by the defense in the case against him on October 19, 2023. (ICC)
