Press Release / / 04.04.22

TOMORROW – ICC War Crimes Trial of Ali Kushayb: “Horrific Crimes”

ICC War Crimes Trial of Ali Kushayb Opens Tomorrow: “Horrific Crimes”

 

April 4, 2022 (Washington, DC) – The trial of Abd-Al-Rahman, known as “Ali Kushayb”, opens tomorrow, April 5th, at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Kushayb is accused of 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Darfur. Experts at The Sentry are available for comment and analysis.

John Prendergast, Co-Founder of The Sentry, said: “The militia in which Kushayb was a leader committed genocidal crimes, and until this moment has been subject to almost no accountability. It’s no surprise, then, that Sudan continues to be marked by dictatorship, kleptocracy, and serious human rights abuses. Kushayb’s trial is a chance to begin to create some level of consequence for the commission of horrific crimes. This case has ramifications beyond one man’s guilt — it can help lay the groundwork for justice on behalf of Darfur’s victims and survivors.”

Justyna Gudzowska, Director of Illicit Finance Policy at The Sentry, said: “Justice and accountability have been elusive in Sudan in its entire history. This trial represents a unique and first opportunity for Darfuri victims to see justice done for atrocities committed there 15 years ago. The impunity that afflicts Sudan isn’t limited to the mass atrocities committed in Darfur. It extends to atrocities and human rights abuses in other regions and is rooted in an entrenched kleptocratic system of repression that affects the entire country. Without redress for all systematic violations, there can be no durable peace.”

The 31 charges lodged by the ICC prosecutor against Kushayb include “intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such, as a war crime; murder as a crime against humanity and a war crime; pillaging as a war crime; destruction of the property of an adversary, without military necessity, as a war crime; other inhumane acts as a crime against humanity; outrages upon personal dignity as a war crime; rape as a crime against humanity and a war crime; forcible transfer as a crime against humanity; persecution as a crime against humanity; torture as a crime against humanity and a war crime; cruel treatment as a war crime; attempted murder as a crime against humanity and a war crime.”


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For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact: Greg Hittelman, Director of Communications, [email protected]
ABOUT THE SENTRY
Short descriptor for press use: “The Sentry, an investigative organization that tracks corruption”

The Sentry is an investigative and policy organization that seeks to disable multinational predatory networks that benefit from violent conflict, repression, and kleptocracy.

Pull back the curtain on wars, mass atrocities, and other human rights abuses, and you’ll find grand corruption and unchecked greed. These tragedies persist because the perpetrators rarely face meaningful consequences. The Sentry aims to alter the warped incentive structures that continually undermine peace and good governance. Our investigations follow the money as it is laundered from war zones to financial centers around the world. We provide evidence and strategies for governments, banks, and law enforcement to hold the perpetrators and enablers of violence and corruption to account. These efforts provide new leverage for human rights, peace, and anti-corruption efforts.

Co-founded by George Clooney and John Prendergast, The Sentry is a strategic partner of the Clooney Foundation for Justice. Learn more at www.TheSentry.org.