Arab Uprisings Point Up Flaws in Global Court
JOHANNESBURG It was exactly the kind of case the International Criminal Court was created to investigate: Yemens autocratic leader was clinging to power, turning his security forces guns on unarmed protesters. Hundreds were left dead, and many more were maimed.
But when Yemens Nobel laureate, Tawakkol Karman, traveled to The Hague to ask prosecutors to investigate, she was told the court would first need the approval of the United Nations Security Council. That never happened, and today the former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is living comfortably in Yemens capital, still wielding influence.
Now, as the world confronts increasing evidence of atrocities on a much vaster scale in Syria as President Bashar al-Assads government battles a growing rebellion, there are signs that Mr. Assad is likely to evade prosecution, much as Mr. Saleh has.
The men have not been prosecuted because they have powerful allies, underlining what critics say are crucial flaws in the courts setup. That now threatens to undermine the still-fragile international consensus that formed the basis for the courts creation in 2002: that leaders should be held accountable for crimes against their own people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/world/middleeast/arab-spring-reveals-international-court-flaws.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120708