Sudan President Accused of War Crimes

Court could arrest al-Bashir over Darfur genocide
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 14, 2008 7:21 AM CDT
Sudan President Accused of War Crimes
Demonstrators protest the possibility that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir could be indicted for crimes against humanity and genocide in Khartoum, Sudan, Sunday, July 13, 2008.    (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was officially accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity today in International Criminal Court, the BBC reports. The court must now decide whether to issue a warrant for Bashir’s arrest. If it does, Sudan’s government says it will disrupt the peace process in Darfur, and cause mayhem throughout the country.

In documents filed today, the court’s prosecutor said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that Bashir bore criminal responsibility for the genocide in Darfur. “I don’t have the luxury to look away,” he wrote. “I have evidence.” Sudan calls the prosecutor himself a criminal. Worried that Sudan will take reprisals against international workers, the UN has evacuated some non-essential personnel. (More war crimes stories.)

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