JURIST - Paper Chase: ICC reports Kenya to UN over al-Bashir visit

[JURIST] The International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] on Friday reported Kenya [decision, PDF] to the UN Security Council and the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute over Friday's visit by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir [case materials; JURIST news archive]. Al-Bashir was in Kenya, an ICC member state, to celebrate the signing of the country's new constitution [JURIST report]. ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I informed the Security Council and Assembly of States Parties of al-Bashir's visit, "in order for them to take any measure they may deem appropriate." Last month, al-Bashir visited Chad, another member state. The ICC also reported Chad [decision, PDF] Friday to the Security Council and Assembly of States Parties.

During al-Bashir's visit to Chad last month, ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official profile] pledged that he would eventually face trial before the ICC [JURIST report]. Earlier in July, the ICC charged al-Bashir with three counts of genocide [warrant, PDF; JURIST report] in relation to the Darfur conflict [BBC backgrounder]. The genocide charges were added to seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity that were filed against al-Bashir [JURIST report] in March 2009. Al-Bashir has eluded arrest since the issuance of the first warrant. The warrant has been controversial, with Egypt, Sudan, the African Union and others calling for the proceedings against Bashir to be delayed, and African Union leaders agreeing [JURIST reports] not to cooperate with the warrant.