Article42-3.org

Facts about Morenogate

The Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court:

"Article 42.3. The Prosecutor and the Deputy Prosecutors shall be persons of high moral character, be highly competent in and have extensive practical experience in the prosecution or trial of criminal cases. They shall have an excellent knowledge of and be fluent in at least one of the working languages of the Court."

Commentary on the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Otto Triffterer, ed, 2nd edition 2008):

"The personal qualifications of the Prosecutor and the Deputy Prosecutors must not allow doubts as to their professional competence, integrity and independence. The credibility of the very idea of an independent ICC Prosecutor depends on the personal qualifications and qualities of the Prosecutor." (Full text of the Triffterer commentary on Article 42.3 here.)

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Is ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo of 'high moral character' and is he 'highly competent'? Is there reason to doubt his 'professional competence' and 'integrity'? Here are links to legal documents, media reporting and blogs shedding light on all aspects of the Morenogate scandal. The site will be regularly updated.

New! Facts about Morenogate - the BLOG

Background

ILOAT Judgment AT-2757, 9 July 2008 (note Consideration 11: "The recorded telephone conversation that occurred two days after the alleged event indicated that the journalist was distressed. And in that conversation, she indicated unambiguously that the Prosecutor “took [her] keys” and that she had consented to sexual intercourse “to get out of [the situation]".")

Complaint against Moreno-Ocampo, 20 October 2006.

New! Legal analysis of the ICC disaster from The Hague Justice Portal: "The Controversial Actions of the ICC Prosecutor: a Crisis of Maturity?" (html or pdf)

British media

 The Daily Telegraph, "Lubanga prosecutor loses again", 22 oktober 2008

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, "ICC overlooks sexual crimes", 17 October 2008

The Daily Telegraph, "Alleged warlord may stand trial after all", 8 October 2008

The Spectator, "Utopia Deferred", 15 September 2008

The Daily Telegraph, "Why the world's most powerful prosecutor should resign: Part 4", 14 September 2008

The Daily Telegraph, "Why the world's most powerful prosecutor should resign: Part 3", 14 September 2008

Reuters AlertNet, "International Criminal Court prosecutor under fire", 19 August 2008

The Guardian, "Human rights: Growing clamour to remove the Hague  prosecutor who wants Sudanese president arrested", 18 August 2008

The Law Society Gazette (pdf or html), "Courting Controversy", 7 August 2008

The Daily Telegraph,"Why the world's most powerful prosecutor should resign: Part 2", 17 July 2008

The Daily Telegraph, "Why the world's most powerful prosecutor should resign: Part 1", 3 July 2008

Information en français

The Hague Justice Portal (html ou pdf), "Les actions controversées du procureur de la Cour pénale internationale : une crise de maturation?", 15 septembre 2008

Le Telegraph (Londres), "Le Procureur Moreno-Ocampo doit démissioner", 17 juillet 2008

La Conscience (Kinshasa), "Du rififi sulfureux à la CPI, le Procureur serait-il impliqué dans une affaire de mœurs?", 23 juillet 2008

Jugement du Tribunal administratif de l'OIT, 9 juillet 2008 (voir Considerée 11: "Au cours de la conversation téléphonique enregistrée deux jours après les événements allégués, la journaliste semblait bouleversée et a très clairement affirmé que le procureur "lui avait pris [ses] clés" et qu’elle avait consenti à un rapport sexuel "pour se sortir de [cette situation]".")

U.S. media

World Affairs Journal, "The Humanitarian Carnival: A Celebrity Vogue", Fall 2008

Inner City Press, "At UN, Doubts Grow Of ICC's Moreno-Ocampo, on Lubanga and Uganda Abuses", 16 September 2008

U.S. News & World Report, "Is Darfur Genocide?", 20 August 2008

Inner City Press, "ICC's Ocampo Dismisses Sudan's Process, Sudan Dismisses Ocampo, of Moral Damages", 11 August 2008

The New York Sun, "Allegations Against Prosecutor May Harm Bashir Genocide Case", 18 July 2008

Inner City Press, "ICC's Ocampo's Cape Town Times As Darfur Was Sent His Way Is Shown by Rejected Complaint", 18 July 2008, updated 21 July 2008

Inner City Press, "ICC's Ocampo Mugs for 'The Reckoning,' Fired Whistleblower But ICC Will Pay the Damages?", 17 July 2008

Wall Street Journal, "More Darfur Posturing", 16 July 2008

LA Times, "Darfur genocide charges will be sought", 11 July 2008

German media

Süddeutsche Zeitung, "Der Draufgänger", 2 September 2008

Jungle World, "Wenn zwei sich streiten", 4 september 2008

South African media

Mail & Guardian, "Top Prosecutor a 'Sex Molester'", 25 July 2008

Arab media

The Daily Star, "The decision on Darfur has been tactically mishandled", 18 July 2008

The Daily Star, "Bashir is guilty, but does Sudan benefit?", 18 July 2008

Al-Hayat, "When the International Criminal Court Acts against Its Goals", 17 July 2008

Argentine media

Clarin, "Críticas al fiscal Moreno Ocampo por sus denuncias sobre Sudán", 21 August 2008.

Correction, requested to Clarin on 31 August 2008.

Dutch media

NRC Handelsblad (Part 1 pdf - Part 2 pdf - html), "Rechters sonder beklaagde", 18 October 2008 (English translation coming soon!)

The Hague Justice Portal (html or pdf), "The Controversial Actions of the ICC Prosecutor: a Crisis of Maturity?", 15 September 2008

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, "The Prosecutor Damages the Hague Court", 28 July 2008 (copy of article from Svenska Dagbladet)

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, "Serious concerns surrounding Bashir's charges", 22 July 2008

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, "Moreno Ocampo slammed for abuse of power", 21 July 2008

De Telegraf, "Aanklager in opspraak", 19 July 2008

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, "International court prosecutor reprimanded", 18 July, 2008

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, "Moreno Ocampo gekapitteld over machtsmisbruik", 18 July 2008

Italian media

Altrenotizie, "TPI, ovvero tribunale penale fallimentare", 8 September 2008

Swedish media

Aftonbladet (pdf or html), "Svensk anmälde våldtäkt - fick gå", 29 August 2008

Aftonbladet, "Swede reported rape - was fired", 29 August 2008 (English translation)

Dagens Nyheter, "Lämna ut Karadzic", 22 July 2008

Vestmanlands Läns Tidning, "Rättsväsendets orätt", 19 July 2008

Svenska Dagbladet, "ICC slår tillbaka om anmäld åklagare", 18 July 2008, (interview with professor Ove Bring)

Sveriges Radio International, "Är ICC åklagare lämplig?, 18 July 2008

Uppsala Nya Tidning, "Miljonskadestånd till Uppsalajournalist", 17 July 2008

Svenska Dagbladet Brännpunkt, "Åklagare skadar domstolen i Haag", 17 July 2008 (op-ed)

Svenska Dagbladet Brännpunkt, "The Prosecutor Damages the Hague Court", 17 July 2008 (op-ed, English translation)

Danish media

Information, "Arrestordre kan dække over sexanklager", 30 August 2008

Information, "Arrest order may be cover for sex allegations", 30 August 2008 (English translation)

Kristeligt Dagblad, "Troværdighed", 21 July 2008

Kristeligt Dagblad, "ICC-anklager i modvind", 21 July 2008

Blogs and other websites

Blog of William Schabas

Blog of Mark Klamberg

Blog of Alex de Waal

Blog of Matthew Russell Lee

Blog of Ramzy Baroud

Blog of Johanne Hildebrandt (in Swedish only)

Oxford Transitional Justice Research Group

Congo forum

Montesquieu Institute

Wikipedia