“Following yesterday’s adoption by the House of Representatives of the draft implementing legislation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), – declares Emma Bonino, Vice-President of the Italian Senate and founder of No Peace Without Justice -, the Italian Parliament has finally filled an embarrassing legal black hole that dates back to 1999, which had prevented national tribunals and Italian authorities from cooperating with the Court in its investigations and legal actions. The country is now in compliance with its constitutional norms on national implementation of international treaties to which Italy is a party.
“From today, Italy is no longer in blatant default, which had potentially exposed it to becoming a “safe heaven” for perpetrators of crimes against humanity. In fact, under the former legal framework, alleged perpetrators could not be arrested and transferred to The Hague. Yet, this important step for the fight against impunity was long delayed.
“After having been one of the most supportive countries in international diplomacy for the creation of the Court, and one of the first in the ratification process of the Statute, it must be noted that seven years passed from the entry into force of the Statute until the Parliament started to discuss the relevant draft law and three additional years before its adoption. Without the tenacity of radical MPs, Matteo Mecacci and Rita Bernardini in particular, and other colleagues that have supported us, in front of unbearable excuses or even obstructionist attitudes, we would not have been able to overcome this judicial vacuum.
“The current challenge is to make the Court truly universal and to enable it to enhance its impact at a political level, nationally and internationally, in victims’ lives, on the populations that have suffered from crimes under international law, and strengthen its deterrent effect in potential criminals’ minds. In the coming years, the full cooperation of States Parties and new ratifications will be essential for this body to fulfil its promise of real justice and to avoid becoming a ‘paper tiger’”.
Read also:
Dopo 14 anni l’Italia si adegua alla Corte penale internazionale
By Emma Bonino, Huffington Post, 7 dicembre 2012
For more information, contact Nicola Giovannini on ngiovannini@npwj.org or +32 (0)2 548-39 15.
