[Agence France Presse] ICC- “I do question the judges’ competence”: ICC Judges Apologise After Wrong Charges Issued

The ongoing trial of Alyev at the International Criminal Court took an unexpected turn this Sunday morning, when the judges issued a formal apology for reading aloud the wrong charges, namely the charge of apartheid, which disrupted today’s order.

This mistake resulted in the Defense Counsel being prepared to argue against the charge of apartheid, while not in order. The judges offered not one, but two formal public apologies and dropped the charge of apartheid from the proceedings. Interviewed after the session, one judge described the situation as a “collective mistake”, noting however the lack of reaction from others: ”when the mistake was made, all parties could have objected but none did.” Moreover, the judges pointed to the defense’s lack of preparation, as “they received all material in advance”.

On the other hand, the Defense Counsel expressed frustration at the mistake: “I do question the competences of the judges”. They notably pointed to Judge Pompouris “because of his lack of legal knowledge on the topic”. The Defense Counsel admitted having received the correct material beforehand, however they highlight the responsibility of the judges in “making sure this was carried properly, as the first people to actually speak during the trial”.

Pleading now resumed, and Agence France Presse will report on the testimony of witnesses later in the afternoon.