ICC situations and cases

At any given time, the International Criminal Court prosecutor is exploring the possibility of bringing prosecutions against individuals in situations around the world.

ICC cases mostly focus on those most responsible for committing grave crimes such as high government officials, military leaders, or rebel commanders.

Learn more about how the ICC works

Investigations - Ongoing

Country

Kenya

After the 2007 elections in Kenya, widespread violence ensued, resulting in over 1000 dead, 600,000 displaced and hundreds sexually assaulted. In March 2010, the ICC started its investigation into alleged crimes committed during the post-election period.

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Libya

The situation in Libya was referred to the ICC by the UN Security Council in February 2011, in the wake of alleged crimes against humanity after the 2011 popular demonstrations. ICC cases include Saif Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi.

Middle East - North Africa

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Georgia

In January 2016, the ICC opened an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed between 1 July and 10 October 2008 by all parties to the South Ossetia conflict, including Georgia, Russia and South Ossetian separatist rebel

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Afghanistan

On 12 April 2019, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II unanimously rejected the Prosecutor's request to open an investigation into Afghanistan. The Prosecution of the ICC now seeks to appeal the decision.

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Mali

In July 2012, Mali referred the situation in its territory to the ICC in response to the emergence of an Islamist rebellion in the North and the ousting of President Touré shortly before the presidential elections.

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Bangladesh (Bangladesh/Myanmar)

On 14 November 2019, the ICC opened an investigation for alleged crimes against humanity, such as deportation, acts of persecution and other inhumane acts, committed against Myanmar’s Rohingya population on or after 1 June 2010.

Country

Côte d'Ivoire

Following post-election violence in 2010-11, an ICC investigation was opened in the situation of Côte d'Ivoire. The former president Laurent Gbagbo and former youth minister Blé Goudé were acquitted by Trial Chamber I on 15 January 2019.

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Palestine

In January 2015, Palestine acceded to the Rome Statute and gave the ICC prosecutor jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict, in Gaza and East Jerusalem

Middle East - North Africa

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Burundi

Burundi is an ICC state member, having ratified the Rome Statue in 2004. Violence following the President's decision to run for a third term in 2015 is currently the subject of an ICC preliminary examination in the country.

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Sudan

Although Sudan is not a party to the Rome Statute, Darfur fell under ICC jurisdiction in March 2005 after the UN Security Council referred the situation to the ICC prosecutor. The investigation has led to five ICC cases, including against Omar al-Bashir

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Preliminary examination - ongoing

Country

Guinea

Guinea is a signatory to the Rome Statute and deposited its instruments of ratification on 14 July 2003. In 2009, the ICC prosecutor opened a preliminary examination into political violence that occurred in Guinea in 2009.

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Bolivia

On 9 September 2020, the ICC announced the preliminary examination on crimes allegedly committed in the territory of Bolivia in August 2020 after receiving a referral from the Government of Bolivia.

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Nigeria

In November 2010, the ICC prosecutor announced the opening of a preliminary examination into a situation of armed conflict, largely between Nigerian security forces and the terrorist group Boko Haram.

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Colombia

The ICC prosecutor opened a preliminary examination in 2004 to assess whether to formally investigate alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes by government, rebel, and paramilitary forces, taking into account the progress of peace talks in Colombia

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Venezuela

On February 2018, the ICC announced a preliminary examination into crimes allegedly committed in Venezuela. On 2018 & 2020, the OTP received 2 referrals by a group of States and Venezuela on crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the country.

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The Philippines

The preliminary examination of the situation in the Philippines was announced on 8 February 2018 and is on-going. It is analyzing crimes allegedly committed since at least 1 July 2016, in the context of the "war on drugs" campaign.

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Ukraine

With Ukraine’s declarations in 2014 and 2015, the ICC prosecutor gained limited jurisdiction to open a preliminary examination into alleged RS crimes in the context of civilian demonstrations from Nov 2013 to Feb 2014 and other events from Feb 2014 onward

Trial

Case

Jean-Pierre Bemba et. al. (Bemba II)

On 2016 Jean-Pierre Bemba and four associates were found guilty for committing offenses against the administration of justice under article 70 of the Rome Statute during the Bemba I trial in 2013. Imprisonment sentences were served.

Case

Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé

On 2019, former Côte d’Ivoire president Laurent Gbagbo and youth leader Charles Blé Goudé were acquitted of crimes against humanity in the wake of 2010 presidential election after their joint ICC trial opened in January 2016.

Case

Dominic Ongwen

The alleged former Lord's Resistance Army commander Dominic Ongwen is charged with 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the IDP camps in Northern Uganda. His trial opened on 6 December 2016.

Case

Bosco Ntaganda

Congolese militia leader Bosco Ntaganda was sentenced by the ICC to a total of 30 years of imprisonment on Nov 2019 of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ituri, DRC. The verdict is currently subject to appeals.

Pre-Trial

Case

Alfred YekatomAnd Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona

Mr. Yekatom and Mr. Ngaïssona are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity in various locations in the CAR between December 2013 and August/December 2014 respectively. Both are in the Court's custody. On February 2019, their cases were joined.

Case

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud

Al Hassan is charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Timbuktu, Mali, between 1 April 2012 and 28 January 2013. He is in the Court's custody. His trial is scheduled to start on 14 July 2020.

Case

Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli

Mr Al-Werfalli is wanted by the ICC for murder as a war crime in the context of the conflict in Libya. The suspect is reportedly in the custody of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Middle East - North Africa

Case

Al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled

Al-Tuhamy Mohamed Khaled (“Mr. Al-Tuhamy”), who is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Libya, remains at large.

Middle East - North Africa

Case

Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein

Former Sudanese interior minister and a special presidential representative in Darfur, Abdel Hussein is wanted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity during a counter-insurgency against rebel groups in Darfur in in 2003-04.

Case

Omar al-Bashir

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in Darfur, Sudan since 2009. He is the first sitting head-of-state to be issued with an ICC arrest warrant.

Case

Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain

Commander of the Justice and Equality Movement rebel group in Darfur. Initially cooperative, Banda is now wanted by the ICC for war crimes during attacks on an African Union peacekeeping mission in 2007.

Case

Ahmad Harun and Ali Kushayb

Ahmad Harun, a current Sudanese governor and former minister, and Ali Kushayb, alleged leader of the government-aligned Janjaweed militia, are wanted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, Sudan.

Case

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

As de facto prime minister under the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, Saif Gaddafi is wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity following the outbreak of popular demonstrations in Libya in February 2011. He remains in detention in Libya.

Middle East - North Africa

Case

Simone Gbagbo

Former First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, serving a 20 year prison sentence for undermining state security. Côte d’Ivoire remains obliged to surrender her to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity between 2010 and 2011.

Reparations

Case

Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi

Islamist rebel Ahmad al-Mahdi pled guilty at the ICC to intentionally directing attacks against historical monuments and buildings dedicated to religion in the UNESCO-protected city of Timbuktu, northern Mali. Sentenced to nine years' imprisonment

Case

Germain Katanga

Congolese rebel leader Germain Katanga was convicted by the ICC in March 2014 of war crimes and crimes against humanity during an attack against Bogoro village in Ituri in eastern DRC. Sentenced to 12 year imprisonment.

Case

Thomas Lubanga Dyilo

In the first ICC trial, DRC rebel Thomas Lubanga was convicted in March 2012 of the war crimes of enlisting & conscripting children under 15 and using them in hostilities. Sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. Reparations proceedings started on 7 Aug 2012.

Concluded

Case

Bahar Idriss Abu Garda

Commander of the Justice and Equality Movement rebel group, Abu Garda was charged by ICC with the war crimes attacking African Union peacekeepers in Darfur. Charges not confirmed due to a lack of evidence.

Case

William Ruto and Joshua Sang

The ICC trial of Kenyan politician William Ruto and radio broadcaster Joshua Sang ended in 2016 due to a lack of evidence and alleged witness-tampering. They were charged with crimes against humanity during Kenyan post-election violence in 2007-8.

Case

Abdullah al-Senussi

Abdullah al-Senussi, director of military intelligence in the Gaddafi regime, was charged by the ICC with crimes against humanity in 2011. ICC extradition halted after Libya challenged admissibility of the case. Sentenced to death by a Libyan court 2015.

Middle East - North Africa

Case

Callixte Mbarushimana

Suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes, alleged executive secretary of the FLDR rebel group Callixte Mbarushimana was released from ICC custody in December 2011 after Pre-Trial Chamber I declined to confirm charges

Case

Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui

Alleged Congolese militia leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui was acquitted at the ICC of crimes against humanity and war crimes in December 2012. He was subsequently deported to the DRC.

Case

Jean-Pierre Bemba (Bemba I)

Former Congolese vice-president and militia leader Jean-Pierre Bemba was convicted by the ICC in 2016 for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Central African Republic. Sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment in 2016 and acquitted in 2018.

Case

Uhuru Kenyatta

The ICC trial of Kenyan politician Uhuru Kenyatta ended in 2015 due to a lack of evidence and alleged witness-tampering. He was charged with crimes against humanity during Kenyan post-election violence in 2007-8.