Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000 (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Belgium) - 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
forimmedialerelease

No. 2001/8
16 March 2001

Arrest Warrant of 11 April 2000
(Democratie Republic of the Congo v. Belgium)

Extension of the time-limits fixed for the filing of written pleadings

THE HAGUE, 16 March 2001. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) bas extended the
time-limits fixed for the filingwritten pleadings in the case conceming the Arrest Warrant of
11 April2000 (Democratie Republic ofthe Congo v. Belgium).

By a letter dated 5 March 2001, the Democratie Republic of the Congo (DRC) asked the

Court to postpone until the second fortnightf April2001 the time-limit for the filing of its
Memorial and indicated the reasons for that requesBy a letter dated 12 March 2001, Belgium
indicated that it did not abject to the extension of the time-lirnit sought by the DRC and requested
that the time-limit fixed for the filing Counter-Memorial be extended to 31 July 2001.

By an ûrder of 14 March 2001, the Court, taking account of the reasons given by the DRC

and of the agreement of the Parties, extended to 17 April2001 the time-limit for the filing of the
DRC'sMemorial and to 31 July 200l the time-limit for the filing of Belgium's Counter-Memorial.

The subsequent procedure bas been reserved for further decision.

Historv of the proceedings

On 17 October 2000 the Democratie Republic of the Congo fi!ed in the Registry an
Application instituting proceedings against Belgium in respectof a dispute conceming an
"international arrest warrant issued on Il April2by0a 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 same day the DRC also filed a request for the indication of a provisional measure,
asking the Court inter alia to make an order for the immediate discharge the disputed arrest
warrant. Hearings were held from20 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

15 votes to 2 that the circumstances, as they then presented thernselves to it, were not such as ta
require the exercise of its power to indicate provisional measures, as the DRC had 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". -2-

By an Order of 13 December 2000, the President of the Court, taking into account the
agreementof the Parties, fixed 15March 200l as the time-limit for the filing of a Memorial by the
DRC and 31 May 2001 as the time-limit for the filîng of a Counter-Memorial by Belgium.

The full text of the Order will shortly be available on the Court's website at the following
address: http://www.icj-cij.org.

Information Department:
Mr. Arthur Witteveen, First Secretary (+31 70 302 23 36)
Mrs. Laurence B!airon, Information Officer (+2 23 37)
E-mail address: [email protected]

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