Immunities and Criminal Proceedings (Equatorial Guinea v. France) - Conclusion of the public hearings - The Court to begin its deliberation

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
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Press Release
Unofficial
No. 2020/6
21 February 2020
Immunities and Criminal Proceedings (Equatorial Guinea v. France) Conclusion of the public hearings The Court to begin its deliberation
THE HAGUE, 21 February 2020. The public hearings in the case concerning Immunities and Criminal Proceedings (Equatorial Guinea v. France) were concluded today. The Court will now begin its deliberation.
During the hearings, which opened on Monday 17 February 2020 at the Peace Palace, the seat of the Court, the delegation of Equatorial Guinea was led by H.E. Mr. Carmelo Nvono Nca, Ambassador of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea to the Kingdoms of Belgium and the Netherlands, as Agent; and the delegation of France was led by Mr. François Alabrune, Director of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, as Agent.
The Court’s Judgment will be delivered at a public sitting, the date of which will be announced in due course.
Submissions of the Parties
At the end of the hearings, the Agents of the Parties made the following submissions to the Court:
For Equatorial Guinea:
“The Republic of Equatorial Guinea respectfully requests the International Court of Justice to adjudge and declare that:
(i) the French Republic, by entering the building located at 42 avenue Foch in Paris, which is used for the purposes of the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea in Paris, by searching, attaching and confiscating the said building, its furnishings and other property therein, has acted in violation of its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations;
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(ii) the French Republic must recognize the status of the building located at 42 avenue Foch in Paris as the premises of the diplomatic mission of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and, accordingly, ensure its protection as required by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations;
(iii) the responsibility of the French Republic is engaged on account of the violations of its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations;
(iv) the French Republic has an obligation to make reparation for the harm suffered by the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, the amount of which will be determined at a later stage.”
For France:
“For the reasons set out in its Counter-Memorial, its Rejoinder and the oral argument of its counsel during the hearings in the case concerning Immunities and Criminal Proceedings between Equatorial Guinea and France, the French Republic respectfully requests the International Court of Justice to reject all the claims made by the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.”
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History of the proceedings
For a complete history of the proceedings, see paragraphs 152-165 of the Annual Report of the Court for 2018-2019, which is available on the Court’s website (www.icj-cij.org).
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Note: The Court’s press releases are prepared by its Registry for information purposes only and do not constitute official documents. The complete verbatim records of the hearings held from 17 to 21 February 2020 are published on the website of the Court (www.icj-cij.org).
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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands). The Court has a twofold role: first, to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States (its judgments have binding force and are without appeal for the parties concerned); and, second, to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and agencies of the system.
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Information Department:
Mr. Andrey Poskakukhin, First Secretary of the Court, Head of Department (+31 (0)70 302 2336)
Ms Joanne Moore, Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2337)
Mr. Avo Sevag Garabet, Associate Information Officer (+31 (0)70 302 2394)
Ms Genoveva Madurga, Administrative Assistant (+31 (0)70 302 2396)