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Putin and his invasion should be on trial in The Hague, says Zelenskiy on visit

Putin and his invasion should be on trial in The Hague, says Zelenskiy on visit

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin must be brought to justice for his war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in The Hague, calling for a new international tribunal for the "crime of aggression." "We're going to set up a specific tribunal... to show that these people are not untouchables," Zelenskiy told a press conference, underlining that the invasion itself should be seen as the "primary offence" committed by Moscow. Zelenskiy's declaration was made during his surprise visit to The Hague, known as the capital of international justice. But it was largely symbolic - the idea of such a court has…
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ICC arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin: a king-size dilemma for South Africa

ICC arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin: a king-size dilemma for South Africa

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an international arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes regarding the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. Such acts are war crimes under two articles of the Rome Statute, which established the court. Author SASCHA-DOMINIK (DOV) BACHMANN, Professor in Law and Co-Convener National Security Hub (University of Canberra) and Research Fellow (adjunct) - The Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa, Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University- NATO Fellow Asia-Pacific, University of Canberra ICC arrest warrants against sitting heads of state are rare. Putin faces arrest…
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Putin flaunts alliance with Xi as ‘dear friends’ meet in Kremlin

Putin flaunts alliance with Xi as ‘dear friends’ meet in Kremlin

VLADIMIR Putin hosted his "dear friend" Xi Jinping for dinner in the Kremlin, showing off his relationship with his most powerful ally just days after an international court called for the Russian President's arrest for war crimes in Ukraine. Washington denounced Xi's visit, saying the timing showed Beijing was providing Moscow with "diplomatic cover" to commit further crimes. It was the first trip abroad for Xi since he obtained an unprecedented third term last month. The Chinese leader has been trying to portray Beijing as a potential peacemaker in Ukraine, even as he deepens economic ties with his closest ally.…
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SA’s big test: Will Putin be arrested?

SA’s big test: Will Putin be arrested?

SOUTH Africa is aware of its legal obligation, a spokesperson for President Cyril Ramaphosa said, referring to a proposed visit by Vladimir Putin after an international court issued an arrest warrant against the Russian leader. Russian President Putin was expected to visit South Africa in August to attend a BRICS summit. "We are, as the government, cognisant of our legal obligation. However, between now and the summit we will remain engaged with various relevant stakeholders," spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said. While there has been no official confirmation of Putin's visit, he has been expected to attend the 15th BRICS summit, as…
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Reactions to ICC’s arrest warrant for Putin citing Ukraine war crimes

Reactions to ICC’s arrest warrant for Putin citing Ukraine war crimes

FOLLOWING are reactions to the news that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. The court also issued a warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights, on the same charges. ICC STATEMENT ON THE CHARGE ACCUSING PUTIN "The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian-occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes." KREMLIN SPOKESMAN DMITRY PESKOV Said Russia found the very questions…
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Proteas’ Lee reclaims top spot in rankings

Proteas’ Lee reclaims top spot in rankings

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH African national cricketer Lizelle Lee has ascended to the summit of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s rankings, following a string of commanding performances.   The SA opener is the only woman from the (commonly known as) Proteas team to reach the number one spot in the One-Day International (ODI) rankings. Lee previously attained the top spot in 2018. https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1371738223815262212 On tour in India, the Proteas Women’s team has been in great form winning the series 4-1 in dominant fashion.  Unsurprisingly, Lee was named Player Of The ODI Series scoring 288 runs over four matches. That total…
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Ex-soccer executive on trial at ICC for C.A.R

Ex-soccer executive on trial at ICC for C.A.R

STEPHANIE VAN DER BERG TWO men accused of leading Christian-dominated militias in widespread attacks on Muslims in the Central African Republic (CAR) go on trial today at the International Criminal Court. Prosecutors say that Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, a former top African football executive, was a senior leader and national coordinator of the so-called anti-Balaka militias in 2013 and 2014. Ngaissona, 53, has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, persecution and torture. Co-accused Alfred Yekatom, 46, a former militia commander also known as "Rambo", faces similar charges to Ngaissona with additional counts for his alleged use…
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Child victim, soldier, war criminal: unpacking Dominic Ongwen’s journey

Child victim, soldier, war criminal: unpacking Dominic Ongwen’s journey

DOMINIC Ongwen, a former Ugandan child soldier, has been convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Three judges found him guilty of 61 of 70 charges. These ranged from the war crime of the forced conscription of child soldiers to the crime against humanity of forced pregnancy. KJELL ANDERSON, Assistant professor and Director of the Master of Human Rights program, University of Manitoba The presiding judge, Bertram Schmitt, read aloud the names of dozens of his victims in a stark reminder of the human consequences of Ongwen’s acts. Ongwen was impassive as the verdict was read out, only…
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Lawyer surrenders, accused of bribing witnesses in ICC case against Kenya VP

Lawyer surrenders, accused of bribing witnesses in ICC case against Kenya VP

A lawyer turned himself in to Dutch authorities to face accusations at the International Criminal Court of bribing witnesses in a trial of Kenyan Vice President William Ruto which collapsed four years ago. Kenyan lawyer Paul Gicheru was wanted on an ICC arrest warrant dating from 2015 that accused him of trying to bribe six prosecution witnesses to recant testimony in the case. Ruto and his co-accused, broadcaster Joshua Sang, were both charged with fomenting ethnic violence after a disputed 2007 election when 1,200 people died. Judges ruled in 2016 that they had no case to answer, although they left…
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