The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced that its first major hearings in the case of Ali Kosheib is scheduled to open on May 24, 2021.
Kosheib, a leader of the “Janjaweed” militia who also held commanding positions in Sudan’s auxiliary Popular Defense Forces and Central Reserve Police, faces ICC charges on more than 50 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur. He voluntarily surrendered to the court last June.
The ICC further said the Prosecutor, the Defence, the Office of Public Counsel for the Victims and the joint Legal representatives of the victims will make oral submissions before the judges to present their arguments on the merits.
It explained that the purpose of the hearing is to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds to believe that the person committed each of the crimes charged.
If the charges are confirmed, the ICC said, the case will be transferred to a Trial Chamber, which will conduct the subsequent phase of the proceedings.
Reacting to the news, Human Rights Watch said on Friday the hearings in the case of Ali Kosheib on May 24, are an important step toward justice for grave crimes committed in Darfur.
The rights group, however, said the absence of four other top suspects, including former president Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, spotlights the need for Sudanese authorities to transfer them to the ICC without further delay.
"Progress in Kosheib's case is important to justice for victims of atrocities committed across Darfur and their families who were terrorized by the Janjaweed militia," said Elise Keppler, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch. "But the absence of al-Bashir and the three other Darfur suspects at the ICC is a major shortcoming that the Sudanese authorities should promptly address."
The remaining ICC suspects face charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed in Darfur. In addition to al-Bashir, they are Ahmed Haroun, former state minister for humanitarian affairs and former governor of South Kordofan state; Abdulraheem Mohammed Hussein, the former defense minister; and Abdallah Banda Abakaer, leader of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement in Darfur. All except for Banda are in Sudanese custody.
Sudan's transitional government, which took office in 2019, has promised to cooperate with the ICC, which is a marked contrast to the previous government's blocking of the ICC's efforts. The transitional government welcomed the ICC prosecutor to Sudan for the first time in October and signed a cooperation agreement with the ICC on the Kosheib case.
The rights body, however, called on the Sudanese government to increase its cooperation in accordance with international law.