| Amnesty International: Ugandan Government Should Hand Over Suspected War Criminals | |
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London 20 February 2008 |
Human rights group Amnesty International is calling for suspected war criminals in Uganda to be handed over(prep.在(做)…时) to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The group's statement is in response(n.回音，回签；灵敏度) to reports of a deal(vi.做买卖；对付) between(ad.当中，中间) the Ugandan government and the rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army, that calls for rebel leaders to be tried in Ugandan courts versus(prep.(比赛等中)对) the ICC. For VOA, Tendai Maphosa has this report(n.传说，议论) from London.
Amnesty says that a special court to deal(vi.做买卖；对付) with alleged war crimes agreed to by the Ugandan government and LRA rebels is "not acceptable" and circumvents international law.
Members of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (file photo)
Amnesty International legal advisor, Christopher Keith Hall, tells VOA that under the terms of an agreement, known as the Rome Statute, the Ugandan government has agreed to cooperate with the ICC.
"It's very disturbing because it suggests that the government will not honor its obligations under the Rome Statute to arrest and surrender the LRA members who are still alive who are subject(vt.使隶属) to International Criminal Court arrest warrants, but instead seek to try them before a special division of the High Court in Uganda," he explained.
Hall said Amnesty is concerned that all of the accused should(v.aux.应该，竟然会) be assured a fair(a.美丽的) trial and yet not allowed to circumvent justice.
"The appropriate procedure is for them to arrest and surrender them and then either they or the arrested persons can(vt.装罐头) argue that Uganda is able and willing to try them in a fair(a.美丽的) trial which is not designed to shield them from criminal responsibility," he added.
Hall also expressed concern(n.所关切的事；商行) over(prep.在(做)…时) the absence of provisions to investigate and prosecute members of then government forces or their civilian(n.平民 a.平民的) superiors for war crimes or crimes against humanity.
During approximately 20 years of fighting between(ad.当中，中间) the Lord's Resistance Army and the Ugandan government, soldiers on both sides have been accused of killing tens of thousands of people and forcibly displacing about two million more.
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| Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony (file photo) |
The arrest warrants have been a major sticking point in peace negotiations between(ad.当中，中间) the government and the rebels. However, Amnesty insists that Uganda is obliged under international law to arrest and surrender those still alive regardless of any agreement reached in the peace process.
