Bensouda condemns violence in Benghazi

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Bensouda condemns violence in Benghazi

ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, condemns recent violence in Benghazi, Libya.

I am deeply concerned by reports that unidentified persons detonated two car bombs outside theBaya’at al-Radwan mosque in the Al-Salmani district of Benghazi, Libya on the evening of 23 January 2018, killing at least 34 people, including children, and wounding over 90 others.

I am equally appalled by photographs and video made public on 24 January 2018, that purportedly show Major Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf al-Werfalli executing 10 persons in front of the Baya’at al-Radwan mosque, in what appears to constitute retaliation for the cowardly bombings of 23 January 2018.

These bombings and executions demand both condemnation and a meaningful response. My Office remains committed to doing its part, within its means, by investigating and prosecuting grave crimes in Libya falling under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “Court”), in particular, the crimes of commanders and superiors, irrespective of the identity of the perpetrators or their affiliation.

Since 15 August 2017, Mr al-Werfalli has been the subject of a warrant of arrest issued by Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC for his alleged direct participation in seven incidents in 2016 and 2017, in which 33 individuals were executed.

I once again repeat my call to Libya to take all necessary steps possible to immediately arrest and surrender Mr al-Werfalli to the ICC. I also repeat my call on all States, including members of the United Nations Security Council, to support Libya in facilitating Mr al-Werfalli’s arrest and surrender to the Court.

I note that on 24 January 2018, the United Nations Mission in Libya expressed alarm at the “brutal and outrageous summary executions in Benghazi” and demanded the immediate handover of Mr al-Werfalli to the ICC.  These calls must be heeded with concrete follow-up action.  Only when perpetrators realise there will be serious consequences for their crimes can we hope to deter future crimes.

I am dismayed that Mr al-Werfalli appears to remain in a position of command, and allegedly continues to commit crimes with impunity, despite an official statement from the General Command of the Libyan National Army (“LNA”) in August 2017 that Mr al-Werfalli had been arrested and was under investigation by a military prosecutor. I once again call on General Khalifa Haftar, as commander of the LNA and superior of Mr al-Werfalli, to heed my previous call to the LNA to work with the Libyan authorities to enable the suspect’s immediate arrest and surrender to the ICC.

The appalling cycle of violence and impunity in Libya cannot be allowed to continue for the sake of the Libyan people and the security and stability of the country and the region.

Anyone with information relating to the bombings or the executions mentioned above, please contact the Office of the Prosecutor at the following email address: LBY@icc-cpi.int.

British Ministers Promote “bespoke deal” in Germany

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British Ministers Promote “bespoke deal” in Germany
Philip Hammond, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Picture by EU. Wednesday, 10 January 2018, Berlin, Germany: UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond and Brexit Minister, David Davis, have made a direct appeal to German business leaders to aid them forging a Brexit securing the future of Britain’s financial services.  Their visit culminated with an address of the Die Welt Economic Summit, where their appeal was uninhibited for the German economic and political élite, albeit no private meetings were held with any cabinet ministers this time around.  The UK aims at holding negotiations from the position of complete harmonization in the UK, and hence that merely the scope for deviation must be elicited from the talks. They envisage a “bespoke agreement” vis-à-vis the EU.  During the Die Welt summit, Minister Hammond told the audience that the UK would like close economic co-operation with the EU, but might be forced down the path that has been dubbed “the Singapore route”, of low taxes and light regulation, if it was rebuffed. They said they were seeking a bespoke deal with the EU described as “the most ambitious in the world” that should “cover the length and breadth of our economies including the service industries, and financial services”. Their trip comes just weeks after the EU warned that a deal involving the City of London was not on the table as long as the UK insisted on exiting the single market.  Previous to their visit the two ministers co-wrote an article for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, wherein two ministers admitted that the UK cannot have the same relationship it has as a member. Nevertheless, they dispute that access to the Single Market for goods and services requires likewise membership of the Customs Union. Minister Davis, also headed to Munich on Thursday, 11 January, to meet senior industry bosses in an attempt to mobilise German business to lobby for a deal that maintains close economic ties.  For further information: UK Chancellor of the Exchequer: https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/chancellor-of-the-exchequer Die Welt Economic Summit: http://www.wirtschaftsgipfel.com/wgd_2018_herausforderung_zukunft/ Her Britannic Majesty’s Embassy to Germany (Ambassador Sir Sebastian Wood): https://www.gov.uk/government/people/sebastian-wood      

Visit the Feel at Home Fair 2018

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Visit the Feel at Home Fair 2018
By The Hague Municipality. Sunday 4 February 2018, 11:00 – 17:00 Come and visit the Feel at Home Fair at The Hague’s City Hall, the biggest International Community event in the Netherlands! Some 150 exhibitions, performers, presenters and fundraisers will provide the special mix of information, animation and entertainment. With a special theme of Sports, Leisure and Wellness, there will be demonstrations, try-outs and workshops, showcasing a wide range of sports and leisure activities. Health and wellness experts will help you keep fit in body and mind. The Hague Region has an excellent infrastructure of clubs, associations and sports facilities to practice every sport imaginable: from beach sports to skiing, sailing to golf, gymnastics or dance to rugby or football, hockey or korfball. Companies, friends and family teams are invited to take part in friendly challenges and competitions. The Hague International Centre During the Feel at Home Fair you are welcome to visit The Hague International Centre.
  • Help with Formalities: registration, residence permit and Citizen Service Number.
  • Details regarding (International) schools for your children.
  • Advice on how to make a smooth transition as you settle in.
  • Discovering how to get around
  • During the Feel at Home Fair The Hague Information Centre will present several Information Sessions for New Arrivals on formalities such as registration, residence permit, parking permit and Citizen Service Number.
Spaces are limited, so please register in advance to be sure of reserving your place. Go to http://feelathomeinthehague.com/information-seminars-new-arrivals/ for registration and more information.
 
 

International Criminal Court Marks Opening 2018

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International Criminal Court Marks Opening 2018
International Criminal Court Marks Opening of the Judicial Year 2018  On 18 January 2018, the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “Court”) marked the opening of its judicial year by organising a ceremony at the seat of the Court in The Hague, Netherlands. His Excellency Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, President of Trinidad and Tobago attended the event, together with more than 50 senior judges representing the national jurisdictions of 25 States Parties to the Rome Statute, 8 regional or international courts, and the International Criminal Court.  Members of the diplomatic corps, international organisations and civil society were also present. It was the first time that the ICC formally marked the opening of the judicial year, which also coincided with the launch of commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute, the Court’s founding treaty. “In holding such a ceremony for the first time at the International Criminal Court, we underline the judicial nature of our institution, which is guided strictly by its legal framework, and we recall our undertaking to perform our duties honourably, faithfully, impartially and conscientiously”, said ICC President Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi. “The ceremony provides an opportunity not only to foster understanding about the Court’s work but also to engage with judges of other jurisdictions in order to exchange views and experiences in our respective functions. (…) The future of the rule of law lies in dialogue and collaboration – not in isolation.” 
President Judge Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi.
H.E. Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona O.R.T.T., S.C., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, former ICC Judge and former High Court Judge of the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago was the distinguished guest speaker of the event. “The International Criminal Court is the international guarantor and guardian of the rule of law, “ President Carmona declared. “Today, as the ICC commemorates the milestones of an inauguration and an opening ceremony, the resonating themes implicit in the Court’s very existence are accountability, transparency, independence, cooperation among Member States, Nation States and the universality of the Rome Statute.” The Ceremony was held after a fruitful judicial Seminar on complementarity and cooperation of national, regional and international Courts where participants discussed the interconnectedness of international, regional and national courts as part of a global justice system.      

Ambassador Kasyanju said goodbye

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Ambassador Kasyanju said goodbye
The Ambassador of Tanzania, Ms Irene Kasyanju, will resume her duties as Coordinator of Ladies Ambassador’s Group in the Netherlands after a successful mandate were she promote partnership, dialogue and solid networking among the 34 ladies ambassadors credited to the Netherlands including those with embassies located in Brussels. The Ambassador of Guatemala, Her Excellency Marithza Ruiz de Vielman will take now the lead of the group. Here below an extract of  Ambassador Kasyanju’s au revoir letter: My term as Coordinator of our Group has come to an end. H.E. Ambassador Marithza Ruiz de Vielman of Guatemala has been kind enough to accept this role and thus she will take over as our new Coordinator, representing Latin American Regional Group.  She further expressed that: “ It was a great opportunity for me to get to know you closer as well as to know many other ladies in various leadership positions who came to meet and speak to our group as guests of honor.
Ladies Ambassador of The Hague, 2016.
Ambassador Kasyanju remarked on her letter: I’m particularly grateful to our African Group Dean, H. E. Ambassador Odette Melono who nominated me to take up this role only sixth months after reporting to the Netherlands!  I am also grateful to Dr. Mayelinne De Lara of Diplomat Magazine for his great support and for taking our Group to greater heights. Let me take this opportunity to wish Ambassador Vielman all the best in her new responsibilities.”
Ladies Ambassadors of The Hague, Nov 2017
       

Residentie orchestra Business Circle and 200 years Scheveningen

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Residentie orchestra Business Circle and 200 years Scheveningen
By Roy Lie A Tjam. The Residentie orchestra Business Circle met for the first time in 2018. The meeting took place at the Zuiderstrand theatre on 5th January. Business Circle members subsequently attended a dazzling concert featuring the Icone Paul van Vliet. The Residentie Orchestra and Paul van Vliet have been working together since 1998. 2018, two hundred years ago Mr Jacob Pronk inaugurated the sea resort of Scheveningen. Celebrations will be taking place later.

UNESCO declared 2017 as the year of Ludovic Zamenhof

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UNESCO declared 2017 as the year of Ludovic Zamenhof
UNESCO   declared 2017 as the year of Ludovic Zamenhof, the inventor of the Esperanto language. Therefore, on the 15th of December 2017, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in The Hague hosted an Esperanto Evening to commemorate the 158th birth anniversary of Ludovic Zamenhof. A piano recital by the Polish pianist Mr Maciej Wierzchołowski opened the evening. Ludovic Zamenhof who invented the Esperanto language was born into a poor, Jewish family in the city of Bialystok, Poland. He grew up in a multilingual environment speaking Russian, Polish and Yiddish. Furthermore, Zamenhof was surrounded by a multitude of religions and textile workers. People did not seem to understand each other well, so it was natural for them to long for a common language. Zamenhof studied Ophthalmology in Moscow but never practise it. He got married and with the financial support of his in-laws published his first work in Esperanto. The Deputy-Head of Mission Ms. Katarzyna Banaszkiewicz began the Esperanto Evening with warm welcoming remarks, she was followed by Agnieszka Kajdanowska who recounted the history of the city of Białystok and the Ludwik Zamenhof legacy. A member of the Esperanto Association in the Netherlands, Mr Jerzy Jurczyński, introduced the history of Esperanto and the city of Białystok to the audience. A vivid interactive session by Ms Katalin Kovats, lecturer of Esperanto, was part of the program. Kovats managed to get the entire audience on their feet, and taught them the basics of the fascinating Esperanto language. Today, over two million people speak Esperanto. The evening closed with the Kajto Band performing songs in Esperanto.

Jelena Lučić Đaletić new Liaison Prosecutor at Eurojust

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Jelena Lučić Đaletić new Liaison Prosecutor at Eurojust
Ms Jelena Lučić Đaletić was appointed Liaison Prosecutor for Montenegro at Eurojust. Since 2015, Ms Lučić Đaletić has been a Prosecutor at the High State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica, Montenegro, after serving as Secretary since 2014. She formerly worked as a legal advisor at the High State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica and at the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office, Department for the Suppression of Organised Crime, Corruption, Terrorism and War Crimes, in Podgorica. Ms Lučić Đaletić studied Law at the University of Podgorica and European Law at the University of Nancy, France. She officially took up her duties on 4 December 2017. Ms Lučić Đaletić said: ‘I am very pleased to be the first Liaison Prosecutor for Montenegro at Eurojust. Given the caseload with the EU countries, cooperation will be beneficial in both directions. I am looking forward to liaising with my colleagues in organised crime cases from and towards Montenegro.’ Ms Lučić Đaletić joins the USA, Norway and Switzerland as the fourth country with a Liaison Prosecutor seconded to Eurojust. Eurojust and Montenegro signed a Cooperation Agreement on 3 May 2016. Liaison Prosecutors facilitate judicial cooperation between the competent authorities of the Member States and third States concerned

ACP meets Michaëlle Jean in Paris

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ACP meets Michaëlle Jean in Paris
Dr Patrick Gomes, ACP Secretary General and OIF Secretary General, Michaëlle Jean – Picture by Cyril Bailleul, OIF. Paris, IOF – The Secretary General of La Francophonie, H.E. Michaëlle Jean, accompanied by the IOF Administrator General, H.E. Adama Ouane and her Cabinet Director, H.E. Jean-Louis Atangana, and other advisers in the fields of economy, programme development and strategy received in audience, 20 December 2017, the Secretary General of the ACP Group of States (Africa, Caribbean and South Pacific countries), H.E. Dr Patrick Gomes as well as the President of the ACP Committee of Ambassadors, H.E. Amadou Diop, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the EU and Head of Mission to the Benelux countries with seat in Brussels. The get-together was organised by the OIF Permanent Representative to the EU, H.E. Ambassador Stéphane López.  The top level meeting aimed at signing a cooperation agreement between the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the ACP Group of states in promoting peace, the right to education, culture, the fight against climate change, promotion of the French language and linguistic diversity as well as the development of economic and entrepreneurial schemes in ACP countries members of OIF. Thirty four states are members simultaneously of OIF and the ACP Group of States Secretariat based in Brussels, Belgium. 
Amadou Diop, Michëlle Jean, Adama Ouane, Dr Patrick Gomes and Stéphane López – Picture by IOF.
Both organisations are joining forces through the renewed agreement before future EU-African Union Summit, wherein Dr Patrick Gomes as well as Secretary General Michaëlle Jean normally partake. A dossier of urgent relevance for both organisations is the resurgence of slavery in Libya, afflicting mostly people of Sub-Saharan African descent.  For further information:  https://www.francophonie.org/accord-cooperation-OIF-ACP-48335.html  

Centeno takes over the Eurogroup’s chairmanship

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Centeno takes over the Eurogroup’s chairmanship
  Jeroen Dijsselbloem and Mário Centeno – Picture by EU. 12 January 2018, Embassy of Portugal in France, Paris: Portugal’s Finance Minister, Mário Centeno, assumed the leadership of the Eurogroup from the hands of the Dutch Jeroen Dijsselbloem at his homeland’s chancery in Paris. Because the Eurogroup is an informal organisation in the EU framework, no official ceremony was held from the EU side.  Centeno was elected Eurogroup President on 4 December 2017 after defeating the Luxembourgian Pierre Gramegna on the second round of votes.  Centeno is but the third president of the forum of EU Finance Ministers belonging to the Euro, after the Luxembourgian Jean-Claude Juncker, and the Dutch Jeroen Dijsselbloem. His term lasts two and a half year till 2020. However to end his mandate, he must be reappointed Finance Minister of Portugal after the legislative elections in his country taking place in 2019, for only office holders of that ministry can lead the Eurogroup.  Dijsselbloem was the informal leader for five years.  For further information: https://www.ft.com/content/3eef2998-d90c-11e7-a039-c64b1c09b482    
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