International Criminal Court receives Human Rights Prize

On behalf of the International Criminal Court (ICC), ICC President Sang-Hyun Song received the Human Rights Prize, in the category of institutions, awarded annually by the General Council of the Spanish Bars (Consejo General de la Abogacía Española) in Madrid.

At its XIV edition, the jury from the General Council decided to award the ICC, noting the “promising precedent” the Court has set by “condemning Congolese rebel leader Thomas Lubanga for recruiting children to participate in the hostilities”. Thomas Lubanga was sentenced to 14 years in prison for using children under the age of 15 to fight in the armed conflict in the Ituri Province, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, from 2002 to 2003. The sentence is currently being appealed.

Delivering an address at the award ceremony on 13 December, President Song said: “In March this year, the ICC delivered its first trial judgment in case of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, We have currently 16 cases in 7 country situations, involving a total of 23 suspects or accused, and more judgments are forthcoming. However, justice is not only about punishing the perpetrators; it is also about providing redress to those who have been harmed by their acts. The Rome Statute’s focus on victims gives the ICC unprecedented potential to bridge the gap between retributive and restorative justice”.

The aim of the Human Rights Prize is to recognise outstanding people, institutions and media for defending human rights and denouncing injustice. Past award recipients include: Amnesty International, the Argentinean Madres de Plaza de Mayo and the Foundation Vicente Ferrer.

The ICC, which is commemorating its 10th anniversary this year, is the first permanent, treaty-based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

For further information, please contact Fadi El Abdallah, Spokesperson and Head of Public Affairs Unit, International Criminal Court, by telephone at: +31 (0)70 515-9152 or +31 (0)6 46448938 or by e-mail at: [email protected].

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