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Burundi Article 15 Decision

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Burundi Article 15 Decision ICC-01/17-9-Red 09-11-2017 1/94 RH PT Co Original: English No. ICC-01/17-X Date: 25 October 2017 Date Public Redacted Version: 9 November 2017 PRE-TRIAL CHAMBER III Before: Judge Chang-ho Chung, Presiding Judge Judge Antoine Kesia‐Mbe Mindua Judge Raul C. Pangalangan SITUATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI Public Public Redacted Version of “Decision Pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome Statute on the Authorization of an Investigation into the Situation in the Republic of Burundi”, ICC-01/17-X-9-US-Exp, 25 October 2017 No: ICC-01/17-X 1/94 9 November 2017 ICC-01/17-9-Red 09-11-2017 2/94 RH PT Decision to be notified in accordance with regulation 31 of the Regulations of the Court to: The Office of the Prosecutor Counsel for the Defence Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor James Stewart, Deputy Prosecutor Legal Representatives of Victims Legal Representatives of Applicants Unrepresented Victims Unrepresented Applicants for Participation/Reparations The Office of Public Counsel for The Office of Public Counsel for the Victims Defence States Representatives Amicus Curiae REGISTRY Registrar Defence Support Section Herman von Hebel, Registrar Victims and Witnesses Unit Detention Section Nigel Verrill, Chief Victims Participation and Reparations Other Section Philipp Ambach, Chief No: ICC-01/17-X 2/94 9 November 2017 ICC-01/17-9-Red 09-11-2017 3/94 RH PT I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY ............................................................................. 4 II. PRELIMINARY MATTERS ........................................................................... 5 A. Classification of the Request ..................................................................... 5 B. Delayed Notification under Article 18 of the Statute .......................... 10 C. Victims ........................................................................................................ 12 D. Article 127 of the Statute .......................................................................... 12 III. ARTICLE 15 OF THE STATUTE................................................................. 15 IV. JURISDICTION ............................................................................................. 16 A. Crimes Against Humanity ....................................................................... 17 1. Contextual Elements ........................................................................... 17 a) The Law ................................................................................................ 17 b) The Facts ............................................................................................... 17 c) Conclusion ........................................................................................... 24 2. The Crimes ........................................................................................... 25 a) Murder and Attempted Murder ....................................................... 25 b) Imprisonment or Severe Deprivation of Liberty ............................ 33 c) Torture .................................................................................................. 43 d) Rape....................................................................................................... 52 e) Enforced Disappearance .................................................................... 56 f) Persecution ........................................................................................... 62 B. War Crimes ................................................................................................ 65 V. ADMISSIBILITY ............................................................................................ 68 A. Complementarity ...................................................................................... 70 1. The Law ................................................................................................ 70 2. The Facts ............................................................................................... 71 a) Commission on the Events of 26 April 2015 ................................... 73 b) Commission on the Events of 13 October 2015 ............................... 75 c) Commission on the Events of 11 December 2015 ........................... 80 d) Other National Proceedings .............................................................. 86 3. Conclusion ........................................................................................... 87 B. Gravity ........................................................................................................ 88 1. The Law ................................................................................................ 88 2. The Facts ............................................................................................... 89 3. Conclusion ........................................................................................... 91 VI. THE INTERESTS OF JUSTICE .................................................................... 91 VII. THE SCOPE OF THE AUTHORIZED INVESTIGATION ...................... 92 VIII. OPERATIVE PART ....................................................................................... 93 No: ICC-01/17-X 3/94 9 November 2017 ICC-01/17-9-Red 09-11-2017 4/94 RH PT PRE-TRIAL CHAMBER III of the International Criminal Court (“Court”) issues this decision pursuant to article 15 of the Rome Statute (“Statute”) on the authorization of an investigation into the situation in the Republic of Burundi (“Burundi”). I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY 1. On 23 August 2017, the Presidency of the Court constituted Pre-Trial Chamber III (“Chamber”) and assigned the situation in Burundi to it.1 2. On 31 August 2017, the Judges of the Chamber elected Judge Chang-ho Chung as Presiding Judge of the Chamber.2 3. On 31 August 2017, the Chamber issued the “Decision on the Prosecutor’s Request for Extension of the Page Limit”, granting the Prosecutor’s request for an extension of the page limit for her request for authorization of an investigation into the situation in Burundi.3 4. On 5 September 2017, the Prosecutor submitted her “Request for authorisation of an investigation pursuant to article 15” (“Request”), together with eight annexes.4 The Prosecutor filed her Request under seal and ex parte, only available to the Prosecutor, pursuant to regulation 23bis of the Regulations of the Court (“Regulations”).5 5. On 15 September 2017, the Chamber issued the “Order to the Prosecutor to Provide Additional Information” (“15 September 2017 Order”), ordering the Prosecutor to provide the Chamber with additional information regarding the level 1 Presidency, Decision on the constitution of Pre-Trial Chamber III and on the assignment of the situation in the Republic of Burundi, ICC-01/17-X-1-US-Exp, with one under seal ex parte annex. 2 Pre-Trial Chamber III, Decision on the Election of Presiding Judge, ICC-01/17-X-3-US-Exp. 3 Pre-Trial Chamber III, ICC-01/17-X-4-US-Exp. 4 ICC-01/17-X-5-US-Exp. 5 Request, para. 9. No: ICC-01/17-X 4/94 9 November 2017 ICC-01/17-9-Red 09-11-2017 5/94 RH PT of classification of her Request and the communications she had received from victims or organizations representing victims.6 6. On 25 September 2017, the Prosecutor provided the additional information requested (“Prosecutor’s Additional Information”).7 II. PRELIMINARY MATTERS A. Classification of the Request 7. Pursuant to the classification of the Request as under seal and ex parte, only available to the Prosecutor, the Prosecutor requests that the Chamber issue its decision under article 15(4) of the Statute with the same classification. She submits that “article 15 is essentially an ex parte procedure and the situation state is not afforded any participatory rights at this stage; victims may make representations under article 15(3), but this right is subject to the procedural framework provided for in rule 50, which expressly relieves the Prosecution of its duty to provide notice to victims […]”.8 8. The Chamber agrees that article 15(3) of the Statute does not confer any rights of participation on the State(s) which would normally exercise jurisdiction over the alleged crimes. Pursuant to article 18 of the Statute, such a State acquires rights of participation only once the Prosecutor initiates an investigation following authorization by a Pre-Trial Chamber. 9. However, in the view of the Chamber, the Prosecutor’s interpretation of the relationship between article 15(3) of the Statute and rule 50(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence (“Rules”) is legally untenable. Article 15(3) of the Statute grants victims an independent, direct avenue to make representations before a Pre- 6 Pre-Trial Chamber III, ICC-01/17-X-6-US-Exp. 7 ICC-01/17-X-7-US-Exp, with one under seal ex parte annex; see also ICC-01/17-X-8-US-Exp with one under seal ex parte annex. 8 Request, para. 12. No: ICC-01/17-X 5/94 9 November 2017 ICC-01/17-9-Red 09-11-2017 6/94 RH PT Trial Chamber seized of a request for authorization of an investigation. The words “in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence” contained in this article, which recur repeatedly in other provisions of the Statute, simply mean that the Rules establish the process for implementing the corresponding article of the Statute. Contrary to the Prosecutor’s submission, such a process does not detract from the rights afforded to victims as such. In this regard, the Chamber recalls that the Rules are an instrument for the application of the Statute to which they are subordinate in all cases9 and, pursuant to article 51(5) of the Statute,
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