The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, issues her annual Report on Preliminary Examination Activities (2014).
Today, 2 December 2014, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (“ICC”), Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, published her annual Report on Preliminary Examination Activities. The report provides an overview of her Office’s analysis and activities conducted between 1 November 2013 and 31 October 2014 in relation to eleven situations that were under consideration for possible investigation. Of these eleven situations, one proceeded to investigation (the Central African Republic), two were closed after the Prosecutor determined that the legal criteria for opening an investigation were not met (Republic of Korea; Registered Vessels of Comoros, Greece and Cambodia), and eight situations remain under on-going examination (Afghanistan, Colombia, Georgia, Guinea, Honduras, Iraq, Nigeria and Ukraine). Of these eight, two new preliminary examinations were opened during the reporting period in relation to the situation in Ukraine and the situation in Iraq.
The report provides a summary of the current status of each situation under preliminary examination, including the Office of the Prosecutor’s (“OTP” or “Office”) current analysis with regard to issues of jurisdiction and admissibility, as well as the activities carried out by the Office in 2014 in order to further this analysis. The report aims to help promote better public understanding and transparency regarding the Office’s preliminary examination process, which is the first step required to undertake prior to initiating an investigation.
