press releaseToday the Democratic Alliance (DA) lays criminal charges against members of Cabinet, the SAPS, Hawks, the NPA and senior government officials for contravening both the Rome Statute, as well as a High Court Order in aiding and abetting the prohibited escape of warlord Omar Al Bashir from South Africa in June of 2015. In light of this week's ruling confirming that the government's notice of intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was unconstitutional, irrational and procedurally flawed, the DA believes that those complicit in the escape of Al-Bashir - in contravention of a court order and international law - ought to face the legal consequences. South Africa, as a participating party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act 27 of 2002, was obliged to arrest and detain President Al Bashir when he set foot on South African territory. From Castro, to Mugabe, to Al-Bashir, anyone who is a friend of oppression and authoritarian rule is a friend of the ANC. We thus trust the SAPS will see to it that these charges are investigated without delay and forwarded for prosecution.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 24, 2017 15:35 UTC