Sudan/China: World leaders must not welcome Al Bashir to commemorative event in China

PARIS, France, September 1, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Several high-level government representatives from State Parties to the Rome Statue and high-ranking UN officials including Ban Ki Moon have confirmed their attendance at a military parade in China on 3 September, despite the fact that ICC fugitive Omar Al Bashir will also be present at the event.

FIDH and its member organisations the African Centre For Justice and Peace Studies and Human Rights in China have called on these heads of state and UN officials to refuse any invitation to an event where Al Bashir will be present, as per their obligations set out in UN and Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute (ASP) guidelines. We also call on China, as a member of the UN Security Council - the body which referred the situation in Sudan to the International Criminal Court and is responsible for upholding international peace - to withdraw Al Bashir's invitation and arrest him should he land on Chinese soil.