Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Belgium) - New extension of the time-limits fixed for the filing of written pleadings

INTERNATIONAL COURTOFJUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel.(31-70-302 23 23). Cables: Intercourt, The Hague.

Telefax (31-70-364 99 28). Telex 32323. Internet address: http: Il www.icj-cij.org

Communiqué

unofficial
forimmediaterelease

No. 2001/11
17 April 2001

Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000

(Democratie Republic of the Congo v. Belgium)

New extension of the time-limits fu:ed for the filing ofwritten pleadings

• THE HAGUE, 17 April 2001. The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),
Judge Gilbert Guillaume, bas extended the time-limits fixed for the filingen pleadings in
the case concerning the Arrest Warrantf 11 April2000 (Democratie Republic of the Congo v.
Belgium).

By a letter dated0April 2001, the Democratie Republic of the Congo (DRC) asked the

Court to extend by 30 days the time-limit for the filing of its Memorial and indicated the reasons
for its request for a further extension. By a letter dated 12 April2001, Belgium iitdidted that
not abject to the extension sought by the DRC and requested that the time-limit fixed for the filing
ofits Counter-Memorial be extended to 17 September 2001.

By an Order of 12Apri12001, the President of the Court, taking account ofthe reasons given
by the DRC and of the agreement of the Parties, extended to 17 May 2001 the time-limit for the
filing of the DRC's Memorial and to 17 September 2001 the time-limit for the filing of Belgium's
Counter-Memorial.

The subsequentprocedure bas been reserved for further decision.

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Historyof the proceedings

On 17 October 2000 the Democratie Republic of the Congo filed in the Registry an
Application instituting proceedings against Belgium in respect of a dispute concerning an
"international arrest warrant issued on 11April2000 by a Belgian investigating judge ... against
Mr. Abdulaye Yerodia Ndombasi'',the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of the DRC, for "serions
violations of international humanitarian law".

On the sarne day the DRC also filed a request for the indication of a provisîonal measure,
asking the Court inter alia to make an arder for the immediate dischargee disputed arrest

warrant. Hearings were held from to 23 November 2000. By an Order of 8 December 2000, the
Court unanimously rejected Belgium'srequest that the case be removed from the List and found by
15votes to 2 that the circumstances, as they theo presented themselves to it, were not such asto
require the exercise of its power to indicate provisional measures, as the DRC bad wished; it added
that "it [was] desirable that the issues before the Court should be determined as saon as possible"
and that"it [was] therefore appropriate to ensure that a decision on the Congo's Application be
reached with ali expedition".

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By an ûrder of 13 December 2000, the President of the Court, taking into account the
agreementof the Parties, bad initially fixed 15March 2001 as the time-limit for the filing of a
Memorialby the DRC and 31 May 2001 as the time-limit for:the filing of a Counter-Memorial by
14March 2001.e time-limits bad fust been extended1at the requestRC by an Order of

The full text of the Order will short!y be available on:the Court's website at the following
address:rtp:1/www.icj-cij.org.

Information Department: ,
Mr. Arthur Witteveen, First Sec+31 70 302 23 36)
E-mail address: [email protected] (!31 70 302 23 37)

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