Mali agrees to open prisons to the International Criminal Court

Mali agrees to open prisons to the International Criminal Court

2012-01-21 09:08:47 GMT+7 (ICT)

THE HAGUE/BAMAKO (BNO NEWS) -- Mali has become the first African country to agree to take in prisoners who have been convicted and sentenced by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the tribunal said on Friday.

The agreement was signed in Mali's capital of Bamako by Judge Fatoumata Dembele Diarra, First Vice-President of the ICC, and Malian Foreign Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga. "Mali is the first state in Africa to conclude such an agreement with the ICC," the tribunal said.

Although the Hague-based court has yet to convict a single suspect, the agreement will allow ICC judges to send convicts to a prison in Mali to serve their sentence. The ICC previously also signed similar agreements with Austria, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Serbia and Colombia.

"The enforcement of sentences is a crucial element of a well-functioning justice system, and the ICC is grateful to every State Party that expresses its willingness to accept persons convicted by the Court," Judge Diarra said, adding that the agreement is significant because all ICC member states should share the responsibility for enforcing sentences of imprisonment.

Maiga, during the signing ceremony, said Mali wants to reaffirm its 'unfailing commitment' to human rights and the ideals of international peace and justice. "This is a modest, symbolic contribution from Mali to assist the Court in best serving its mandate, in particular in the fight against impunity for international crimes the world over," he said.

The ICC, which prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression, is currently investigating situations in the Central African Republic (CAR), Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), the Darfur region of western Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Libya and Uganda. During trials, suspects are housed at a prison in the Dutch city of The Hague.

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