Tag: ICC

R.E.A.L. Rejects Taliban’s Crimes Against Humanity, Calls for ICC to Act

The Taliban’s barbarous mass murder of children in Peshawar today should be condemned by all people of all faiths, nationalities, and political views. The Taliban’s continued practice of mass murder of children and targeted killings of children is nothing less than crimes against humanity. There is no rationale, no justification, and no defense for such crimes against humanity by the Taliban.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) continues to stand by our position in unequivocal support for our universal human rights for all people, including the right to life and safety. The actions of the Taliban in this mass murder of children demonstrates their rejection of all human rights, and their choice to be enemies of humanity itself. For many years, R.E.A.L. has protested the Taliban’s actions, their ideology, and those misguided state leaders who believe that they can “negotiate” with those criminals who deliberately and consciously murder children, women, and other innocent people.

We call upon ALL people, all human rights leaders, and all world leaders to condemn their actions and the Taliban’s anti-human rights ideology without qualification.

We also call upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) to act upon Article 7 to bring international criminal charges against these Taliban leaders and these Taliban murderers, based on their systemic crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, extermination, and other inhumane acts.

These crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Explanatory Memorandum, “are particularly odious offences in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity or grave humiliation or a degradation of human beings.” This mass murder in Peshawar is another in a series of systemic crimes against humanity by this Taliban terrorist organization, which has too frequently received state protection with the unwillingness of nations of the world to take criminal action against the Taliban.

Therefore, we call upon the ICC to bring charges of crimes against humanity against the Taliban, their leaders, and their members.

Pakistan states that it has supported the aims of the International Court and voted for the Rome Statute in 1998. Afghanistan acceded the Rome Statute on February 10, 2003. R.E.A.L. calls upon the ICC to act upon the criminal Taliban organization to protect humanity from their continuing crimes against humanity.

Sudan: Representatives Advise UN Security Council, Violence and Genocide Continues

CNN – “Sudan: Special reps brief U.N. Security Council on Sudan”
— CNN reports: “U.N.-AU Representative Gambari explained that parts of Darfur remained ‘tense and volatile,’ with 447 deaths reported in May alone. He told Council members that this recent upsurge in violence has created ‘very serious hindrances to the effective implementation’ of his protection mandate, as well as to humanitarian assistance efforts for ‘those in dire need of such support.'”
— “The Oxfam International aid organization released a statement coinciding with the Security Council meeting, saying that international attention has shifted away from Sudan and the Darfur conflict ‘at a time when it is desperately needed.'”
— U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice states: “With respect to elections, let me reiterate that the April elections were characterized by serious irregularities.”  “She explained how ‘the international community stands ready to provide diplomatic and technical support,’ but only if there are sincere efforts to address the serious and difficult issues facing the country.”
— “Monday’s meeting followed a Security Council update Friday from International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, which Rice called ‘disturbing’ during her statements on Monday.”
— “Moreno-Ocampo told Council members that attacks against civilians persist, and ‘the crime of extermination against millions of displaced into camps continues.’ He called on the U.N. to produce an updated comprehensive report on the situation in camps and villages ‘to allow the international community to consider the current extent of the suffering of civilians.'”
— “The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Sudan’s sitting President, Omar al-Bashir in March 2009 for various war crimes, including ‘extermination.'”
— “‘The crime of extermination does not require killing by bullets,’ Moreno-Ocampo told the Security Council. He said ‘the deprivation of access to food and medicine, calculated to bring about the destruction of part of a population’ also applies.”
— “Although the US is not a member of the Court, Rice said Monday that ‘the United States strongly supports international efforts to bring those responsible for genocide and war crimes in Darfur to justice.'”