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Serbia joins list of countries agreeing to enforce ICC jail terms

Serbia joins list of countries agreeing to enforce ICC jail terms

ICC President Sang-Hyun Song (right) and Justice Minister Snežana Malovic of Serbia sign agreement
The International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Government of Serbia signed an agreement today by which people convicted by the court can serve their sentences in the Eastern European nation.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Government of Serbia signed an agreement today by which people convicted by the court can serve their sentences in the Eastern European nation.

Five other countries – Austria, United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark and Finland – have concluded similar agreements with the Court, which is based in The Hague.

At the signing ceremony, the ICC President noted that having sufficient options to ensure the enforcement of judicially ordered sentences is an important element in the overall credibility of the judicial process at the Court.

“This is a historic moment as Serbia is the first Eastern European State to conclude an agreement on the enforcement of sentences with the ICC,” said Judge Sang-Hyun Song. “I hope this will encourage other States in the region to follow your lead.”

The ICC is the world’s first permanent court set up to try people accused of the most serious international offences, such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Currently investigations are ongoing into five situations: Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), the Darfur region of Sudan and Kenya.