The International Criminal Court (ICC) may be forced to halt investigations into mass murders and rapes in Libya and Ivory Coast because of budget cuts, chief prosecutor José Luis Moreno-Ocampo has warned.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo was speaking at the Assembly of States Parties at the ICC’s headquarters, an annual meeting of the 120 member countries. The 2012 budget dominated the agenda in New York.

Economic crisis
The main contributors to the court – Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France and Italy – are pressing for cuts to the prosecutors' budget in a vote to be held Monday.

They say they cannot uphold the court’s request for 120 million euros because of the economic crisis in their own countries. The contributing nations want to bring back the budget to 104 million euros. Mr Moreno-Ocampo had sought an extra 1.5 million euros for Libya investigations and 1.7 million euros for
Ivory Coast.

Probes threatened
Mr Moreno-Ocampo said he may have to halt probes into alleged mass rapes and killings by Muammar Gaddafi's forces in Libya, and by forces loyal to former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo.

"If they decide to reduce the budget, there will be fewer cases and fewer investigations," said Mr Moreno-Ocampo. He also expressed fears that with a reduced budget, the court would appear less impartial. "We are public servants so we deal with it in accordance with the rules and the budget,” he added.

Libya is considering challenging ICC jurisdiction to try Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam, who is currently in detention in Libya. Mr Gbagbo is being held at the tribunal in The Hague on crimes against humanity charges.

He refused to concede defeat in last year's presidential election. Five months of violence ensued and some 3,000 people were killed before Mr Gbagbo was detained by opposition forces in April. In parliamentary elections held last week, Mr Gbagbo's party boycotted the poll in protest at his detention in The Hague.

"I don't know whether Libya will challenge the jurisdiction so I am continuing the investigation,"  Mr Moreno-Ocampo said. "Without this money I don't know whether I can continue the current investigation of rapes and I don't know if I can investigate the rebel sides."

The Libya investigation was called for by the UN Security Council.

Political issue
Mr Moreno-Ocampo criticised the main contributors’ decision to cut the ICC budget, saying it was not just a financial question but also a political issue. He said the administration of international justice should not rest solely in the hands of accountants.
 

(jn/mb)

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