ANCA welcomes ICC decision to issue arrest warrant for Sudanese President

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) welcomed the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for crimes against humanity and war crimes, while at the same time warning about Turkey's likely efforts to obstruct efforts to bring him to justice, ANCA Communications Director Elizabeth Chouljian told PanARMENIAN.Net



"The ICC decision to issue a warrant for Sudan's Omar Hassan al-Bashir sends a clear message to genocide perpetrators and deniers that crimes against humanity will be prosecuted and punished," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We look forward to swift action to bring him to justice and call upon the international community to forcefully stand up against those countries, such as Turkey, that appear set to obstruct this landmark legal effort to end the cycle of genocide."



Last week, the ANCA circulated three policy memos to Capitol Hill offices, outlining for legislators how the Turkey-Sudan "axis of genocide" relationship is materially undermining international efforts to isolate Khartoum and end its genocide against the people Darfur.



The ICC issued its arrest warrant today, citing five charges of crimes against humanity and two of war crimes including murder, extermination, torture and rape. ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo noted, "The reality now is that Omar al-Bashir is attacking his own citizens who he is supposed to protect as leader of the country. The solution for Sudan has to start with arresting Omar al-Bashir."