-Caveat Lector-
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Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 13:40:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Party of Citizens <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [L&J] [ICC] Press Release - Bolivia Should Resist US ICC Immunity
Agreement (fwd)
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Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 15:39:56 -0400
From: Sally Eberhardt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [ICC] Press Release - Bolivia Should Resist US ICC Immunity
Agreement
Dear all,
The US bilateral immunity agreement with Bolivia, which was signed last year
but has not yet been ratified, is due to come before the Bolivian Chamber of
Deputies this week. Two press statements - one from the CICC dated today
and one from Amnesty International dated May 19 - follow below. The CICC
press release is also available in Spanish.
Regards,
Sally Eberhardt
Coalition for the International Criminal Court
Media Liaison
777 UN Plaza
New York, New York 10017
212-687-2863, ext. 17
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.iccnow.org/pressroom.html
<http://www.iccnow.org/pressroom.html>
Coalition for
the International
Criminal Court
For more information,contact:
Sally Eberhardt
Media Liaison
Tel: (+1) 212 687 2176
E-mail:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web: <http://www.iccnow.org/> www.iccnow.org
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
NGOs Urge Bolivia to Resist U.S. ICC Immunity Agreement
Bolivia Should Stand with Regional Allies in Defending ICC Integrity
(New York, June 1, 2004) - The NGO Coalition for the International Criminal
Court (CICC) today is urging Bolivia to honor its obligations as a State
Party to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and stand firm in its
defense of international justice by voting against the ratification of a US
bilateral immunity agreement (BIA) concerning the ICC due to come before the
Bolivian Chamber of Deputies this week.
Over a year ago, in May 2003, Bolivia signed an agreement with the United
States that would require Bolivia to provide immunity for US nationals
accused of the most atrocious international crimes - genocide, crimes
against humanity and war crimes - in return for military aid to Bolivia.
However, it was only last month, after a year of debate, that the Bolivian
Senate actually approved the BIA, then passing it on to the Chamber of
Deputies where it currently awaits final ratification. Close to $5 million
was budgeted for US military assistance to Bolivia during the 2004 US fiscal
year, however it is unclear how much aid was delivered before the US ceased
that flow of funds. Although some Bolivians have expressed support for the
BIA because they assert that vital humanitarian aid would be jeopardized, it
is important to note that under US law the aid cut-off relates only to
military assistance.
Resistance to the immunity agreement in Bolivia has been widespread, with
opposition being voiced by the Deputy Minister of Justice, the Bolivian
Ombudsman, and the Catholic Church, as well as many parlimentarians.
Numerous international governmental, legal and non-governmental experts have
concluded that these bilateral agreements are contrary to international law
and the Rome Statute of the ICC. The CICC, which represents a coalition of
more than 2,000 civil society organizations, and includes Associacion Pro
Derechos Humanos (APRODEH), Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits
de L'Homme (FIDH), Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International among its
steering committee members, has also noted the US administration's continued
failure to comprehend the pivotal notion of complementarity regarding the
ICC's jurisdiction. "These immunity agreements not only undermine the
integrity of the Rome Statute of the ICC, they also disregard the clear
safeguards already built into the ICC's mandate, said Hugo Relva,
Implementation Advisor of CICC. "The ICC will only act in situations where
a sovereign state is unwilling or unable to prosecute the gravest of
international crimes. A state need only worry if it fails to conduct
adequate investigations and prosecutions themselves."
A notable supporter of the ICC who signed the Rome Statute of the Court in
1998, Bolivia also holds the honor of having one of its nationals, Rene
Blattmann, elected to the ICC's bench of 18 judges last year. Most allies
in the region - including Argentina, Brazil and Peru - have refused to sign
immunity agreements with the United States. To date, of the 94 ICC States
Parties, only 34 have signed immunity agreements with the United States and
a total of only 14 ratified BIAs around the world despite the Bush
administration's full-scale campaign to withhold military assistance from
those countries who refuse them. A total of 45 countries have publicly
refused to sign a BIA with the US. The majority of countries who have
agreed to the US immunity scheme thus far have been fragile democracies or
small, economically vulnerable nations including the Democratic Republic of
Congo and Uganda, who have recently referred situations of alleged human
rights violations to the Court.
CICC Convenor William Pace expressed his hope that Bolivia would resist US
pressure to ratify the BIA saying, "We hope that Bolivia will defend the
highest principle of international justice - that no one is above the rule
of law."
# # #
Note to the Editor:
Further information on the U.S. bilateral immunity agreements, including
detailed information about countries to have been approached and those to
have signed the agreement, can be found online at:
http://www.iccnow.org/documents/USandICC/BIAs.html
For comment, please contact the following CICC staff:
In Mexico City:
Jose Guevara - CICC Latin American and Caribbean Coordinator - (currently
traveling in Washington DC) at (+1) 202 274 4260 and cell phone: (+52) 55
5068 1035
In Buenos Aires:
Hugo Relva - CICC Implementation Advisor (available after 6 pm on 1 June) at
(+54) 22 147 32538
In New York:
Sally Eberhardt - CICC Media Liaison at (+1) 212 687 2176 ext. 17
About the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)
The CICC is a global network of over 2,000 civil society organizations
supporting a fair, effective and independent International Criminal Court.
For more information, visit us online at <http://www.iccnow.org>.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * ** * * * * * * ** * * * * * *
** * * * * * * ** * * * * * * ** * * * * * * ** * * * * * * ** * * * * * * *
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
AI Index: AMR 18/003/2004 (Public)
News Service No: 127
Embargo Date: 19 May 2004 01:01 GMT
Bolivia: The Chamber of Deputies must reject US impunity agreement
No one should enjoy impunity for the worst crimes known to humanity, Amnesty
International said today, in the wake of the Senate's approval of an
impunity agreement with the USA on the International Criminal Court. It is
now up to the Chamber of Deputies to ensure that this agreement is stopped.
In a letter sent to the Chamber, Amnesty International urged the
Bolivian authorities to uphold Bolivia's obligations as a state party to the
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by opposing the
ratification of this unlawful agreement.
Bolivia signed an impunity agreement with the USA in May 2003. Last
Wednesday, the Senate approved this agreement, which would commit the
government of Bolivia not to surrender US nationals accused of genocide,
crimes against humanity and war crimes to the new International Criminal
Court (ICC).
"These agreements are illegal as they violate Bolivia's duty to
cooperate with the International Criminal Court and the obligations of all
states to ensure that people responsible for these crimes, as the most
serious crimes under international law, are brought to justice," Amnesty
International stressed.
The USA also claims that the ICC would hinder the process of
investigations, such as those it is conducting into abuse of prisoners in
the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. However, Amnesty International emphasised
that an impunity agreement could lead to US nationals escaping justice for
crimes committed in Bolivia in the future.
"If Bolivia ratifies this agreement, it will be unable to ensure
that US nationals are held accountable for their actions. If genocide, war
crimes or crimes against humanity were committed by US nationals in Bolivia,
and the USA is unable or unwilling to investigate these crimes, Bolivia will
have no way to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice,"
Amnesty International said.
Bolivia should refuse to ratify the agreement proposed by the USA.
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Peru have all refused to ratify such
agreements, which violate the Rome Statute and other conventions under
international law, including the Geneva Conventions.
Background information
The International Criminal Court has been established to investigate and
prosecute crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when
national courts are unable or unwilling to do so. Investigations have
already been announced into crimes committed in Uganda and the Democratic
Republic of Congo, at the request of these countries.
As the ICC begins its important work with the support of the vast
majority of states, the USA is conducting a worldwide campaign to undermine
it by pressuring states parties to sign and ratify impunity agreements.
Amnesty International and many states believe that US fears that the ICC
could be used to bring politically motivated prosecutions against US
nationals are unfounded given the comprehensive fair trial guarantees and
safeguards included in the Rome Statute.
Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in
London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566
Amnesty International, 1 Easton St., London WC1X 0DW. web:
http://www.amnesty.org
For latest human rights news view http://news.amnesty.org
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