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No.: ICC-02/05-01/09 OA2 14 June 2018
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Original:!English!! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!!!!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09!OA2!!
!!!!!Date:!14!June!2018!!
THE!APPEALS!CHAMBER!
Before:!! ! Judge!Chile!Eboe-Osuji,!Presiding!Judge!!
Judge!Howard!Morrison!
Judge!Piotr!Hofmański!
Judge!Luz!del!Carmen!Ibáñez!Carranza!
Judge!Solomy!Balungi!Bossa!
!
SITUATION!IN!DARFUR,!SUDAN!
IN!THE!CASE!OF!
THE!PROSECUTOR!v.!OMAR!HASSAN!AHMAD!AL-BASHIR!
PUBLIC!DOCUMENT!
Observations!on!the!Merits!of!the!Legal!Questions!Presented!in!the!Appeal!of!The!
Hashemite!Kingdom!of!Jordan’s!appeal!against!the!“Decision!under!article!87(7)!
of!the!Rome!Statute!on!the!non-compliance!by!Jordan!with!the!request!by!the!
Court!for!the!arrest!and!surrender![of]!Omar!Al-Bashir’”!
!
SOURCE:!Professor!Michael!A.!Newton!
Vanderbilt!University!Law!School!
!
!
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Document!to!be!notified!in!accordance!with!regulation!31!of!the!Regulations,of,the,Court:,
The!Office!of!the!Prosecutor!! ! ! Counsel!for!the!Defence!
Ms.!!Fatou!Bensouda,!Prosecutor!
Mr.!!James!Stewart!
Legal!Representatives!of!the!Victims!! Legal!Representatives!of!the!
Applicants!
Unrepresented!Victims!! ! ! ! Unrepresented!Applicants!
! ! ! ! ! ! ! (Participation/Reparation)!
The!Office!of!Public!Counsel!for!Victims! The!Office!of!Public!Counsel!for!the!
Defence!
States’!Representative! ! ! ! Amicus!Curiae!
Competent!authorities!of!the!Hashemite!!
Kingdom!of!Jordan!
!
REGISTRY!
Registrar! ! ! ! ! ! ! Counsel!Support!Section!
Mr.!Peter!Lewis!
Victims!and!Witnesses!Unit! ! ! ! Detention!Section!
Victims!Participation!and!Reparations!Section! Other!
!
! !
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I. Introduction!
1. Further!to!the!ICC!Appeals!Chamber’s!order!inviting!expressions!of!interest!as!amici%
curiae%in!judicial!proceedings,
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!Professor!Michael!A.!Newton!and!Mr.!Oliver!
Windridge!sought!leave!to!submit!observations!on!the!merits!of!the!legal!questions!
presented!in!the!appeal!of!‘The!Hashemite!Kingdom!of!Jordan’s!appeal!against!the!
“Decision!under!article!87(7)!of!the!Rome!Statute!on!the!non-compliance!by!Jordan!
with!the!request!by!the!Court!for!the!arrest!and!surrender![of]!Omar!Al-Bashir’”!of!
12!March!2018!(ICC-02/05-01/09-326)!(hereinafter:!‘Jordan!Referral!re!Al-Bashir!
Appeal’).
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!On!21!May!2018,!the!ICC!Appeals!Chamber!granted!Professor!Newton!
leave!to!submit!full!written!submissions!as!amicus%curiae!on!the!merits!of!the!
legal!questions!presented!in!Jordan’s!appeal.
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!!This!amicus%curiae!brief!is!
respectfully!submitted!pursuant!to!Rule!103!of!the!ICC!Rules!of!Procedure!and!
Evidence!by!Professor!Newton.
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!
!
2. The!Jordan!Referral!re!Al-Bashir!Appeal!contains!three!grounds.!Ground!three!
concerns!Pre-Trial!Chamber!II’s!decision!to!refer!Jordan!for!its!failure!to!arrest!
President!Al-Bashir!to!the!Assembly!of!State!Parties!and!Security!Council!of!the!
United!Nations!(hereinafter:!‘ASP’!and!‘UNSC’!respectively).!Whilst!other!briefs!will!
focus!on!legal!theory!and!the!existence,!or!non-existence,!of!immunity,!this!brief!
aims!to!add!a!dose!of!practicality.!Focusing!on!Jordan’s!third!ground!of!appeal,!it!
relies!on!the!research!undertaken!in!the!Ma p ping!Bashir!project!to!answer!the!
question!does%referral%ever%make%a%difference?!This!question!goes!to!the!heart!of!the!
reasonableness!of!Pre-Trial!Chamber!II’s!referral!of!Jordan.!The!brief!begins!with!an!
executive!summary,!and!then!discusses!the!Mapping!Bashir!project,!before!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir!,!Order!inviting!expressions!of!interest!as!amici%curiae%in!judicial!procee din g s!
(pursuant!to!rule!103!of!the !Rules !of!Proced ure!an d!E viden ce),!29!M arc h!20 18.!
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!!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir!,!‘Request!fo r !L e a ve !b y !P r o fe s so r !Michael!A .!Newto n !an d!Mr.!Oli ve r !Windrid g e !to !
Submit!Observations!on!the!Merits!of!the!Legal!Questions!Presented!in!the!Appeal!of!The!Hashemite!
Kingdom!of!Jordan’s!appeal!against!the!“Decision!under!article!87(7)!of!the!Rome!Statute!on!the!non-
compliance!by!Jordan!with!the!request!by!the!Court!for!the!arrest!and!surrender![of]!Omar!Al-!Bashir”’,!30!
April!2018,!ICC-02/05-01/09-350.!
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!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Decision!on!the!requests!for!leave!to!file!observations!pursuant!to!rule!103!of!the!
Rules!of!Procedure!and!Evidence,!the!request!for!leave!to!reply!and!further!processes!in!the!appeal,!21!
May!2018,!para.!10.!
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!!Professor!Newton!gratefully!acknowledges!the!assistance!of!Oliver!Windridge,!Director!of!the!Mapping!
Bashir!project!in!compiling!this!brief!and!appreciates!his!significant!contributions!to!the!project.!!
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summarizing!the!conclusions!of!its!research.!It!is!sincerely!hoped!that!this!brief!will!
assist!the!ICC!Appeals!Chamber!in!its!deliberations!on!this!important!issue.!!
II. Executive!Summary!of!Conclusions!
3. This!brief!makes!the!following!conclusions:!
!
I. The!following!test!has!been!consistently!applied!in!determining!whether!to!refer!
non-compliance:!a%chamber%has%discretion%to%consider!all%factors%that%may%be%
relevant%in%the%circumstances%of%the%case,%including%whether%external%actors%could%
indeed%provide%concrete%assistance%to%obtain%cooperation%requested%taking%into%
account%the%form%and%content%of%the%cooperation!(hereinafter:!‘Referral!Test’).
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!!
II. !To!date,!no!ICC!Pre-Trial!Chamber!has!attempted!a!comprehensive!analysis!of!
President!Al-Bashir’s!travels!since!arrest!warrants!have!been!operative.!
Accordingly,!!Chambers!have!not!comprehensively!assessed!President!Al-
Bashir’s!travels!when!applying!the!Referral!Test.!
III. Mapping!Bashir!research!shows!that!President!Al-Bashir!has!travelled!to!
numerous!States!Parties!subsequent!to!the!public!disclosure!of!arrest!warrants!
as!discussed!herein.!!Pre-Trial!Chamber!II’s!decision!not!to!refer!South!Africa!has!
received!significant!attention,!though!Nigeria!has!been!similarly!treated.!
IV. Mapping!Bashir!research!demonstrates!that!referral!to!the!ASP!and!UNSC!has!
made!no!appreciable!difference!to!President!Al-Bashir’s!travels!to!date!
V. As!an!important!element!of!the!Referral!Test,!Pre-Trial!Chambers!should!
consider!the!ongoing!travels!of!President!Al-Bashir!because!they!constitute!
relevant!circumstances!within!the!meaning!of!!the!Referral!Test.!!
III. The!Bashir!Arrest!Warrants!!
4. In!order!to!put!the!Mapping!Bashir!research!in!proper!context,!it!is!helpful!to!briefly!
recall!the!dates!of!the!arrest!warrants.!On!March!4,!2009,!the!ICC!issued!a!warrant!of!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!Decision!Under!Article!87(7)!of!the!Rome!Statute!on!the!Non-compliance!by!Jordan!with!the!Request!by!
the!Court!for!the!arrest!and!su rrend er!of!Omar!Al-Bashir,!11!December!2017,!ICC-02/05-01/09-309,!
para.!52.!See!also!Decision!under!article!87(7)!of!the!Rome!Statute!on!the!non-comp liance!by!South!Africa!
with!the!request!by!the!Court!for!the!arrest!and!surrender!of!Omar!Al-Bashir,!6!July!2017,!ICC-02/05-
01/09-302,!para.!125.!
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arrest!against!President!Al-Bashir.
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!Following!the!decision,!the!ICC!Registrar!
transmitted!a!request!for!cooperation!seeking!the!arrest!and!surrender!of!President!
Al-Bashir!to!all!States!Parties.
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!A!second!arrest!warrant!was!issued!on!July!12,!2010.
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!
On!July!20,!2010,!the!ICC!Registrar!again!notified!all!States!Parties!and!requested!
their!cooperation!in!the!arrest!and!surrender!of!President!Al-Bashir.
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!!
IV. The!Mapping!Bashir!Research!Project!
5. The!Mapping!Bashir!research!project!was!conceived!by!Oliver!Windridge.!Its!
implementation!is!a!cooperative!venture!between!Mr.!Windridge!and!the!
International!Law!Practice!Lab!at!Vanderbilt!University!Law!School.!Working!
alongside!Mr.!Windridge,!Professor!Newton!coordinates!and!leads!teams!of!
researchers!charged!with!documenting!the!travel!patterns!of!President!Al-Bashir.!!
This!research!is!publicly!available!at!www.mappingbashir.org.!The!Mapping!Bashir!
project!provides!the!only!known!consolidated!compilation!of!President!Al-Bashir’s!
travels!since!arrest!warrants!were!issued.!It!provides!the!total!number!of!trips,!!
including!detailed!analysis!regarding!the!purposes!of!those! trips,!and!documents!the!
known!diplomatic!outcomes!from!trips!that!were!undertaken!for!official!diplomatic!
exchanges.!The!research!also!identifies!patterns!between!the!issuance!of!official!ICC!
warnings!and!judicial!judgements!and!subsequent!travel.!The!Mapping!Bashir!team!
began!by!compiling!all!of!the!primary!ICC!documents!(e.g.!Registrar!Reports,!
Motions!by!the!Office!of!the!Prosecutor,!and!Orders!by!the!Pre-Trial!Chamber).
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!
This!effort!was!expanded!by!searching!news!reports!by!Sudanese!news!networks!
and!international!news!networks!in!order!to!find!travels!that!were!not!reported!by!
the!ICC!organs.!President!Al-Bashir’s!trips!were!plotted!on!a!timeline!before!
categorizing!them!according!to!the!reported!purposes!behind!the!trip!(political,!
economic,!religious,!personal,!etc.),!whether!the!host!state!was!receptive!or!not,!and!
whether!the!host!state!was!a!States!Party.!!The!research!also!identified!some!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Decision!on!the!Prosecution's!Application!for!a!
Warrant!of!Arrest!against!Omar!Hassan!Ahmad!Al!Bashir,!¶!4.!!
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!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Decision!on!the!Prosecution's!Application!for!a!
Warrant!of!Arrest!against!Omar!Hassan!Ahmad!Al!Bashir,!ICC-02/05-01/09,!at!93.!
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!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC -02/05-01/09,!Second!Warrant!of!Arrest!for!Omar!Hassan!Ahmad!Al!
Bashir!(July!12,!2010).!
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!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Supplementary!Request!to!All!States!Parties!to!the!
Rome!Statute!for!the!Arrest!and!Surrender!of!Omar!Hassan!Ahmad!Al!Bashir!(July!20,!2010).!
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!Available!at!https://www.icc-cpi.int/Pages/crm-refined.aspx?case=ICC -02/05-01/09.!!
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seventeen!trips,!representing!some!13%!of!the!total!number!of!trips,!that!were!
cancelled!and!the!stated!reasons!for!cancellation.!!
V. The!Mapping!Bashir!Research!Project!Findings
6. Since!the!issuance!of!the!first!ICC!arrest!warrant!on!March!4,!2009,!President!Al-
Bashir!has!made!at!least!115!reported!trips.!He!has!visited!at!least!thirty-two!
countries,!including!fourteen!States!Parties,!eleven!non-States!Parties,!and!eight!
Signatory!States.!Available!data!shows!that!in!the!two!years!proceedings!ICC!arrest!
warrants,!only!six!trips!were!taken!during!2007!and!two!trips!in!2008.!!President!Al-
Bashir!has!made!at!least!ten!trips!each!year!since!2009!(with!the!exception!of!2010,!
during!which!he!only!made!four!successful!trips!due!to!various!cancel l ations),!
averaging!12.7!trips!per!year.!The!four-year!window!from!2013!to!2016!represents!
the!highest!average!travel!in!any!four-year!window,!with!an!average!of!17.25!trips!
per!annum.!More!than!half!of!President!Al-Bashir’s!trips!were!to!non-States!Parties.!!
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7. !The!data!collected!demonstrates!that!in!most,!but!not!all!instances,!States!Parties!
have!afforded!privileges!and!immunities!consistent!with!those!customarily!accorded!
to!heads!of!state!conducting!official!business.!Malawi!was!the!first!state!to!argue!that!
full!diplomatic!protocol!remained!applicable!after!the!issuance!of!arrest!warrants,!
when!it!did!not!arrest!President!Al-Bashir!during!his!2011!visit!to!attend!the!summit!
of!the!Common!Market!for!Eastern!and!Southern!Africa!(COMESA).
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!Subsequently,!
similar!arguments!have!been!raised!by!the!Congo,
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!Djibouti,
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!and!South!Africa.
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!!
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!See!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Corrigendum!to!the!Decision!Pursuant!to!Article!
87(7)!of!the!Rome!Statute!on!the!Failure!by!the!Republic!of!Malawi!to!Comply!with!the!Cooperation!
Requests!Issued!by!the!Court!with!Respect!to!the!Arrest!and!Surrender!of!Omar!Hassan!Ahmad!Al! Bashir,!
¶!5-7!(Dec.!13,!2011)![hereinafter!Malawi!Decision],!https://www.icc-
cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2011_21722.PD F!.!
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!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Decision!on!the!Cooperation!of!the!Democratic!
Republic!of!the!Congo!Regarding!Omar!Al!Bashir’s!Arrest!and!Surrender!to!the!Court,!¶!18-19!(April!9,!
2014)![hereinafter!Congo!Decision],!https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2014_034 52.PDF.!
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!!Prosecutor%v.%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Decision!on!the!Non-Compliance!by!the!Republic!of!
Djibouti!with!the!Request!to!Arrest!and!Surrender!Omar!Al-Bashir!to!the!Court!and!Referring!the!Matter!
to!the!United!Nations!Se curity!Co un cil!and!the !Asse m bly!o f!the!State!P arties!to!the !Rome!Statute,!¶!6!(July!
11,!2016)![hereinafter!Djibouti!Decision],!https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/C R20 16_049 46.PDF.!
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!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Decision!Under!Article!87(7)!of!the!Rome!Statute!on!
the!Non-Compliance!by!South!Africa!with!the!Request!by!the!Court!for!the!Arrest!and!Surrender!of!Omar!
Al-Bashir,!¶!32-38!(July!6,!2017)![hereinafter!South!Africa!Decision],!https://www.icc-
cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2017_04402.PD F.!
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8. In!terms!of!States!Parties,!President!Al-Bashir!has!travelled!to!Chad!seven!times,!the!
highest!number!of!any!States!Party.!President!Al-Bashir!rarely!travels!to!a!States!
Party!more!than!once,!the!notable!exceptions!being!Chad!and!Uganda.!In!contrast,!
Ethiopia!is!the!most!frequently!visited!non-State!Party!(twenty-five!times),!followed!
by!Saudi!Arabia!(eighteen),!Egypt!(eleven)!and!Qatar!(nine).!
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9. Whilst!the!lack!of!return!visits!to!States!Parties!may!be!due!to!concerns!over!future!
arrest,!the!presence!of!domestic!proceedings!is!another!identifiable!factor!
demonstrated!by!the!data.!Domestic!legal!proceedings!in!South!Africa!and!Kenya!
followed!President!Al-Bashir’s!travel!and!exit.!Whilst!South!Africa’s!proceedings!are!
well!known,!it!should!also!be!noted!that!in!January!2012,!a!court!in!Kenya!issued!a!
warrant!for!Bashir’s!arrest!should!he!return.
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!This!incited!political!tension!between!
Sudan!and!Kenya,
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!and!with!IGAD.
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!Such!tensions!could!have!contributed!to!
President!Al-Bashir’s!decision!to!only!travel!to!non-State!Parties!in!2012.!
!
10. !As!to!patterns!in!travel,!the!overwhelming!majority!of!President!Al-Bashir’s!
completed!trips!have!been!to!Africa!and!the!Middle!East.!The!ICC!States!Parties!that!
President!Al-Bashir!has!visited!since!issuance!of!the!first!arrest!warrant!are:!South!
Africa,!Botswana,!Uganda,!Chad,!Kenya,!Central!African!Republic,!Senegal,!Djibouti,!
Malawi,!Nigeria,!Democratic!Republic!Congo,!Equatorial!Guinea!and!Jordan.!
President!Al-Bashir!has!made!seven!successful!visits!to!Chad!since!2009,!with!no!
reports!of!cancelled!visits.!Most!of!the!visits!were!made!for!economic!and!political!
purposes.!For!example,!he!attended!the!summit!of!the!Sahel-Saharan!States!in!
2010,
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!the!community!of!Sahel-Saharan!(CEN-SAD)!summit!in!February!2013,
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!and!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!Provisional!Warrant!for!Arrest,!High!Court!of!Kenya!(Jan!23,!2012).!
http://www.sudantribune.com/IMG/pdf/Kenya_arrest_warrant_01232011.pdf!!
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Kenyan!judge!formally!issues!provisional!arrest!warrant!for!Sudanese!president,!Sudan!TRIB.!(Jan.!26,!
2012),!http://www.sudantribune.com/Kenyan-judg e - fo r m a lly-issues,414 1 3 !!
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!Al%Bashir%Arrest%Warrant%Judgement%Bad%in%Law%and%for%the%Region,!INTERGO V ERNM E NTAL!
AUTHORITY!ON!GOV’T.!(last!visited!Oct.!18,!2017)!https://igad.int/executive-secretary/398-al- bashir-
arrest-warrant-judgement-bad-in-law -and-for-the-region!!
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Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Decision!informing!the!United!Nations!Security!
Council!and!the!Assembly!of!the!States!Parties!to!the!Rome!Statute!about!Omar!Al-Bashir's!recent!visit!to!
the!Republic!of!Chad!(A ug.!27 ,!2010 )!https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2010_05769.PDF!
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!Sudanese%president%arrives%in%Chad%as%ICC%asks%for%his%arrest,!Sudan!TRIB.!(Feb!1 6 ,!2 0 1 3 ) ,!
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?iframe&page=imprimable&id_article=45541!
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CEN-SAD’s!extraordinary!meeting!in!March!2013.
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!President!Al-Bashir!was!on!the!
guest!list!for!Chad’s!official!Independence!Day!ceremony!in!January!2011
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!and!
attended!the!Head!of!State!inauguration!ceremony!in!August!2011.
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!He!also!
attended!a!regional!summit!in!2013
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!and!addressed!the!second!forum!of!tribes!
living!in!the!border!area!between!Sudan!and!Chad!in!2014.
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!
!
11. Since!the!first!arrest!warrant!was!issued,!President!Al-Bashir!has!visited!eleven!non-
States!Parties:!Qatar,!Libya,!Ethiopia,!Saudi!Arabia,!South!Sudan,!China,!Iraq,!
Mauritania,!India,!Indonesia!and!Rwanda.!Of!those,!President!Al-Bashir!has!most!
frequently!visited!Ethiopia!and!Saudi!Arabia.!President!Al-Bashir!has!made!twenty-
five!successful!visits!to!Ethiopia!since!2009!with!no!reported!cancellations.!Indeed,!
he!has!visited!Ethiopia!every!year!from!2012!to!2017.!Specifically,!President!Al-
Bashir!has!travelled!to!Ethiopia!to!attend!the!African!Union!Summit!every!year,
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!
and!attended!the!Intergovernmental!Authority!on!Development!Summit!(IGAD)!in!
2012,
26
!2014,
27
!and!2017.
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!Other!official!forums!include:!TANA!High-level!Forum!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Prosecution!notification!of!possible!travel!in!the!case!
of!The!Prosecutor!v!Omar!Al!Bashir!pursuant!to!Article!97!of!the!Rome!Statute!(Mar.!15,!2013)!
https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2013_02025.PDF!!
21
!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Prosecution!notification!of!possible!travel!in!the!case!
of!The!Prosecutor!v!Omar!Al!Bashir,!pursuant!to!Article!97!of!the!Rome!Statute!(Jan.!10,!2011)!
https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2011_00067.PDF!!
22
!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Decision!requesting!observations!about!Omar!Al-
Bashir's!recent!visit!to!the!Republic!of!Chad!(Aug.!18,!2011)!!https://www.icc-
cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2011_12351.PD F!!
23
!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Prosecution!Notification!of!Possible!Travel!in!the!
Case!of!The!Prosecutor!v!Omar!Al!Bashir,!pursuant!to!Article!97!of!the!Rome!Statute!(May!10,!2013)!
https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2013_03488.PDF.!
24
!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!https://www.icc-
cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2014_02978.PD F!!
25
Ethiopia%to%host%Africa%Union%summit%after%Omar%al-Bashir%Malawi%row,!BBC!New s !(June!12,! 2012),!!
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-18407396;!2013:!
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46684!Prosecutor!v.!Al!Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-
01/09,!Prosecution’s!Urgent!Notification!of!Travel!in!the!Case!of!The!Prosecutor!v!Omar!Al!Bashir!(Jan.!30!
2014)!https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2014_01297.PDF;!Prose c u to r!v .!B a sh ir ,!C as e !N o .!IC C -
02/05-01/09,!Prosecution’s!Notification!of!Travel!in!the!Case!of!The!Prosecutor!v!Omar!Al!Bashir!(Jan!25,!
2015)!https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2015_00496.PDF;!Carien!du!Pless is,!Al-Bashir,%Zuma%
hug,%happily%shake%hands%at%AU%meeting,!News24!(F e b .!1 !2 016),!
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/al-bashir-zuma-hug-happily-shake-hands-at-au -meeting-
20160201;!Prosecutor%v.%Al%Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Report!of!the!Registry!on!information!
received!regarding!Omar!Al!Ba shir’s!travels!to!States!Parties!and!No n -States!Parties!from!5!October!2016!
to!6!April!2017!and!oth er!efforts!con du cted !by!the!R egistry !regard ing!pu rporte d!visit,!11!April!2017)!
https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2017_02216.PDF!
26
NUBA!REPORTS,!https://nubareports.org/bashir-travels/!(last!visited!Oct!18,!20 17).!!
27
Prosecutor!v.!Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Prosecution’s!Urgent!Notification!of!Travel!in!the!Case!
of!The!Prosecutor!v!Omar!Al!Bashir!(!Nov.!4!2014)!https://www.icc-
cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2014_09319.PD F!!
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on!Security!in!Africa!in!both!2013
29
!and!2014
30
!and!the!East!African!Regional!Heads!
of!States!and!Governments!Summit!in!2014.
31
!President!Al-Bashir!!attended!
meetings!on!ending!!hunger!in!Africa,
32
!talks!regarding!South!Sudan!in!2015,
33
!a!
summit!on!the!Libyan!crisis!in!2016,
34
!and!!private!meetings!in!2014
35
!and!2017.
36
!!
!
12. President!Al-Bashir!has!made!sixteen!successful!trips!to!Saudi!Arabia!since!2009,!
with!one!recorded!cancellation!in!2017.!He!has!visited!Saudi!Arabia!every!year!from!
2012!to!2017.!!Reasons!for!visiting!have!included:!medical!(minor!surgery!in!2012,
37
!
and!a!medical!check-up!in!2013),
38
!religious!(visit!to!Mecca!for!Hajj!in!2013,
39
!the!
annual!Hajj!pilgrimage!in!2014,
40
!and!the!Umrah!pilgrimage!in!2015),
41
!and!political!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
28
!Prosecutor!v.!Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Report!of!the!Registry!on!information!received!
regarding!Omar!Al!Bash ir’s!travels!to!States!Parties!and!Non -States!Parties!from!5!October!2016!to!6!
April!2017!and!other!efforts!conducted!by!the!Registry!regarding!purported!visits!(Apr.!11!2017)!
https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2017_02216.PDF!
29
!Sudan’s%Bashir%to%attend%TANA%Forum%in%Ethiopia,!Sudan!TRIB.!(Apr.!20,!201 3),!
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46296!!
30
Prosecutor!v.!Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Prosecution’s!Urgent!Notification!of!Travel!in!the!Case!
of!The!Prosecutor!v.!Omar!Al!Bashir!(Apr.!29,!2011)!!https://www.icc-
cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2014_03805.PD F!
31
IGAD!leaders!authorise!quick!deployment!of!regional!forces!in!South!Sudan,!Sudan!TRIB.!(Mar.!14,!
2014),!http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article50283!!
32
Sudan’s%Bashir%Arrives%in%Addis%Ababa%for%meeting%on%Hun g er%in %Afr ica,!Sudan!T R I B .!( Ju ne!30,!20 1 3),!%%
http://dev.sudantribune.com/Sudan/Article/Index/7-1-2013-Sudan-s-Bashir-arrives-in-Addis-Ababa-
for-meeting-on-hunger-in -Africa/47136!!
33
%AFP,%%South%S u d a n e s e %P r e si d e n t%S a lv a %Kiir%to%join %p e a c e %t a lk s%i n %E t h io p ia ,% Times!of!Oman!(Aug!16,!2015),!
http://timesofoman.com/article/65666/World/Africa/South-Sudanese-President-Salva-Kiir-to-jo in -
Ethiopia-peace-talks-to-end-civil-war!
34
!Mini%African%summit%in%Addis%Ababa%on%Libyan%crisis,!Libya!Herald !!( Nov.!8,!20 16),!
https://www.libyaherald.com/2016/11/08/mini-african-summ it-in -addis-ababa-on-libyan -crisis/!
35
Prosecutor!v.!Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!!Prosecution’s!Urgent!Notification!of!Travel!in!the!Case!
of!The!Prosecutor!v.!Omar!Al!Bashir!(Apr.!29!2014)!https://www.icc-
cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2014_03805.PD F!
36
President%Al-Bashir%Concludes%Official%Visit%to%Ethiopia,%Ethiopian!News!Agency!(Apr.!6,!2017),!!
http://www.ena.gov.et/en/index.php/politics/item/3012-president-al-bashir-concludes-official-visit-to-
ethiopia!
37
!Bashir%had%throat%surgery%in%Qatar,%in%good%health:%official,!Reuter s !(Oct.!21,!2 0 1 2 ) ,!
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-bashir/bashir-had-throat-surgery -in -qatar-in-good-health-
official-idUSBRE89K 0 8 3 20 1 2 10 2 1!!
38
Sudan%president%in%Saudi%Arabia%for%medical%checkup:%source,!Sudan !T RIB.!(M a r .!1 0 ,!2 0 1 3 ) ,!
http://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article45771!!
39
Prosecutor!v.!Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Prosecution’s!urgent!notification!of!travel!in!the!case!of!
The!Prosecutor!v!Omar!Al!Bashir!(Oct.!9,!2013)!https://www.icc-
cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2013_07315.PD F!
40
Mohammed!Amin,!ICC%asks%Saudi%Ar ab ia%to%arre st%Su dan %Pre siden t%Ba shir%du ring %pilgrim a ge ,!The!
EastAfrican!(Oct.!6,!2014),!http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/ICC-asks-Saudi-Arabia-to-arrest-
Bashir-/2558-2476908-rwpyd9z/index .html!!
41
Prosecutor!v.!Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Report!of!the!Registry!on!Omar!Al!Bashir’s!travels!to!
the!Kingdom!o f!Saud i!Arabia,!the!Sta te!of!Qa tar!and !the!A rab!R epu blic!of!Egy pt!(Au g.!12,!201 5)!
https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2015_13687.PDF!
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(attending!the!Arab-Latin!America!Summit!in!2015,
42
!a!bilateral!meeting!in!2015,
43
!
and!a!meeting!for!the!end!of!military!drills!in!Saudi!Arabia!in!2016).
44
!!
!
13. From!the!issue!of!the!first!arrest!warrant,!President!Al-Bashir!has!visited!eight!
signatory!states,!which!are!Eritrea,!Egypt,!Iran,!Kuwait,!UAE,!Algeria,!Morocco!and!
Bahrain.!President!Al-Bashir’s!reasons!for!repeated!trips!to!Egypt!have!varied.!He!
has!repeatedly!travelled!for!high!level!discussions!related!to!international!peace!a nd!
security,!regional!economic!and!political!issues,!and!economic!cooperation.!!
!
14. President!Al-Bashir!has!maintained!a!consistent!pattern!of!pre-trip!communication!
with!states!that!he!intends!to!visit.!The!data!shows!clear!correlation!to!the!decision!
whether!to!cancel,!adjust,!or!proceed!with!his!trip.!Sometimes!a!state!will!cancel!or!
postpone!a!forum!that!President!Al-Bashir!plans!to!attend!(e.g.!the!cancelled!Kenya!
trip!of!October!27,!2010!where!under!pressure!from!the!ICC,!Kenya!decided!not!to!
host!the!Intergovernmental!Authority!of!Development!Summit!because!Bashir!
would!be!attending).
45
!Sometimes!a!state!will!use!political!tactics!(e.g.!the!cancelled!
Uganda!trip!of!July!1,!2009!where!President!Al-Bashir!cancelled!his!trip!to!Uganda!to!
avoid!a!“diplomatic!incident”!over!whether!he!would!be!arrested!under!warrants!
issued!by!ICC).
46
!Uganda!subsequently!facilitated!an!official!trip!to!Kampala!by!
Bashir!during!which!he!met!with!senior!officials.!There!have!also!been!instances!of!
states!refusing!permission!to!transit!such!as!the!cancelled!Iran!trip!of!August!4,!2013!
due!to!the!refusal!of!Saudi!Arabia!to!permit!transit!of!sovereign!air!space.
47
!
!
15. While!some!states!have!tried!to!avoid!taking!a!clear!stance!on!the!arrest!warrant,!
other!states!have!made!their!positions!known!by!both!words!and!action.!After!the!
issuing!of!first!arrest!warrant!on!March!4,!2009,!President!Al-Bashir!visited!Eritrea!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
42
Prosecutor!v.!Bashir,!Case!No.!ICC-02/05-01/09,!Report!of!the!Registry!on!Omar!Al!Bashir’s!travels!to!
the!People’s!Dem ocra tic!Repu blic!of!Alge ria,!the!Rep ub lic!of!India!and !the!K ingd om !of!Sau di!Ara bia!(No v.!
27!2015)!https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR 201 5_2307 4.PDF!
43
!Id.!!
44
‘Thunde r ’%in %S a u d i%desert%as %h u g e %m i lita r y %d ri ll%ends,!Time s!of!Israel!( Mar.!20 ! 2016)!
https://www.timesofisrael.com/thunder-in-saudi-desert-as-huge-military-drill-ends/!
45
BASHIR!WATCH,!http://bashirwatch.org/#kenya!(last!visited!Oct.!18,!2017).!!
46
Andy!Checkley,!Sudanese%president%cancels%trip%to%Uganda,!the!guardian!(July!20,!2009),!!
https://www.theguardian.com/katine/2009/jul/20/omar-bashir-ugandan-trip!!
47
Saudi%Arabia%maintains%silence%over%its%decision%to%block %B as h ir’s%p lan e ,!S u d a n!TRIB .!(Aug.!4,!2 0 1 3 ) ,!
http://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article47539!!
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on!March!23,!2009.!The!Sudanese!Foreign!Minister!Deng!Alor!said!the!visit!was!
“important”!and!reflected!Eritrean!“solidarity!…!with!Sudan!against!the!ICC.”
48
!!
!
16. Mapping!Bashir!research!shows!that!during!the!nine!years!of!travel!since!the!
issuance!of!arrest!warrants,!President!Al-Bashir!has!cancelled!numerous!trips,!
including!seven!!directly!related!to!pressure!from!the!ICC.!!!
%
17. Mapping!Bashir!research!also!demonstrates!that!when!comparing!the!dates!on!
which!the!ICC!Pre-Trial!Chamber!has!referred!to!the!UNSC!and!ASP!with!President!
Al-Bashir’s!travels,!referrals!have!made!no!appreciable!difference.!Research!
therefore!suggests!that!referral!does!not!substantially!affect!President!Al-Bashir’s!
subsequent!travels.!This!conclusion!is!demonstrable!by!the!compiled!data.!
VI. Conclusions!
18. As!the!Appeals!Chamber!has!rightly!stated,!the!Jordan!Referral!re!Al-Bashir!Appeal!
raises!legal!issues!with!implications!beyond!the!present!case.
49
!!President!Al-
Bashir’s!travel!patterns!are!relevant!factors!under!the!Referral!Test.!!
!
19. Referral!may!be!considered!a!“least!best!option.”!However,!it!remains!the!only!
mechanism!available!to!sanction!Member!States!for!failure!to!arrest!President!Al-
Bashir.!!The!Appeals!Chamber!would!ideally!consider!all!relevant!factors!in!this!
important!case.!At!the!very!least,!Pre-Trial!Chambers!should!consider!the!data!
available!on!President!Al-Bashir’s!travels!as!a!factor!in!determining!the!efficacy!of!
referral.!The!Mapping!Bashir!research!project!stands!ready!to!assist!this!analysis!as!
directed.!
The!whole!respectfully!submitted,!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Professor!Michael!A.!Newton!
Dated!this!14!day!of!June!2018.!At!Nashville,!Tennessee,!United!States!of!America!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
48
Sudan%President%al-Bashir%defies%arrest%warrant%with%trip%to%Eritrea,!The!Telegrap h!(Mar.!2 4,!2009) ,!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/sudan/5040418/Sudan-
President-al-Bashir-defies-arrest-warrant-with-trip-to-Eritrea.html!!
49
!Appeals!Chamber!Order,!para.!1.!
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