INTERNATIONAL COURTOFJUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel: +31 (0)70 302 23 23. Cables: Intercourt,
The Hague. Fax: +31 (0)70 364 99 28. Telex: 32323. E-mail address:
[email protected]. Internet address: http://www.icj-cij.org.
Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2003/18
11June 2003
Certain Criminal Proceedings in France
(Republic of the Congo v. France)
Reguest for the indication of a provisional measure
Court to give its Order on Tuesday 17 June 2003 at 10 a.m.
THE HAGUE, 11 June 2003. The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial
organ of the United Nations, will deliver its Order on the request for the indication of a provisional
measure submitted by the Republic of the Congo in the case conceming Certain Criminal
Proceedings in France (Republic ofthe Congo v. France), on Tuesday 17 June 2003 at 10 a.m.
The President of the Court, Judge Shi Jiuyong, will read the Order at a public sitting which
will take place in the Great HallJustice at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court.
Historyof the proceedings
The Republic of the Congo submitted its request for the indication of a provisional measure
on 9 December 2002 when it filed in the Registry of the Court an Application instituting proceedings
against France seeking the annulment of the investigation and prosecution measures taken by the
French judicial authorities further to a complaint for crimes against humanity and torture filed by
various associations against the President of the Republic of the Congo,
H. E. Mr. Denis Sassou Nguesso, the Congolese Minister of the lnterior, H. E. Mr. Pierre Oba, and
other individuals including General Norbert Dabira, Inspector-General the Congolese Armed
Forces and General Blaise Adoua, Commander of the Presidential Guard.
In its request, the Republic the Congo asked the Court to indicate a provisional measure
"seek[ing] an arder for the immediate suspension of the proceedings being conducted by the
investigatingjudgeof the Meaux tribunal de grande instance".
Public hearings were held on 28 and 29 April 2003. At those hearings, the Republic of the
Congo confirmed its request for the indicationf a provisional measure while France asked the
Court to reject that request and not to indicate any such measure. -2-
NOTE TO THE PRESS
1. The public sitting will be held in the Great Hall of Justice of the Peace Palace in The Hague,
Netherlands. Mobile telephones and beepers are allowed in the courtroom provided they are turned
off or set on silent mode. Any offending deviee will be temporarily retained.
2. Members of the Press may attend on presentation of a press card. The tables reserved for
them are situated to the far left the public entrance to the courtroom.
3.Photographs and TV shots may be taken for a few minutes only at the opening of the
sitting. The Court's proceedings will be displayed live on a large TV screen in the Press Room,
located on the ground floor of the Peace Palace (Room 5). In the Press Room, it will be possible for
TV crews to connect recording equipment directly to the Court's new video system, but advance
notice of this should be given to the Information Department. There is also a facility for the
connection ofsound-only equipment to the Court's audio system during the proceedings.
4. At the end of the sitting, a press release, a summary of the Court's Order and the full text
of the Order will be distributed in the Press Room.
5. Ali the above-mentioned documents will also be available at that time on the Court's
website (www.icj-cij.org).
6. Members of the Press who wish to make telephone caUs may use the phone located in the
Press Room for collect caUs or the public telephones in the Post Office in the basement of the
Peace Palace.
7. Mr. Arthur Witteveen, First Secretary of the Court (tel: +31-70-302 2336), and
Mrs. Laurence Blairon and Mr. Boris Heim, Information Officers, are available to deal with any
requests from the Press and for the requirements of TV crews (tel: +31-70-302 2337; e-mail address:
[email protected]).
- Request for the indication of a provisional measure - Court to give its Order on Tuesday 17 June 2003 at 10 a.m.
Certain Criminal Proceedings in France (Republic of the Congo v. France) - Request for the indication of a provisional measure - Court to give its Order on Tuesday 17 June 2003 at 10 a.m.