Assembly/AU/11 (XIII)
Annex II
Page 10
evidence will usually be found.
R10. Where those national criminal justice authorities considering exercising
universal jurisdiction believe that the territorial state or the suspect’s or
victims’ national state is willing and able to bring him or her to trial in
accordance with international human rights standards, they should
confidentially disclose the indictment (or any other instrument containing the
charges), along with all the evidentiary material collected, to the criminal
justice authorities of the relevant state, together with a request that these
authorities investigate the alleged crimes and, where the evidence calls for
this, prosecute the suspect. Where, however, those national criminal justice
authorities considering exercising universal jurisdiction have serious reasons
to believe that the territorial state and the suspect and victims’ national
states are manifestly unwilling or unable to prosecute the suspect, and the
suspect is a foreign state official exercising a representative function on
behalf of his or her state, they should seek and issue a summons to appear
or equivalent measure, rather than an arrest warrant, to enable the suspect
to appear before the court and to produce, with the assistance of counsel,
any exculpatory evidence in his or her possession.
R11. Given the grave nature of serious crimes of international concern such as
genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture, AU and EU
Member States may wish to consider legislating to specify an appropriate
level of court at which proceedings in respect of such crimes must be
instituted. They might also envisage providing specialist training in the
prosecution and judging of such crimes.
R12. Where a state, either on its own initiative or at the request of another state,
has arrested a person suspected by a foreign state of a serious crime of
international concern, it should take into consideration the appeal made in
2005 by the Institut de droit international, whereby ‘Any State having custody
over an alleged offender, to the extent that it relies solely on universal
jurisdiction, should carefully consider and, as appropriate, grant any
extradition request addressed to it by a State having a significant link, such
as primarily territoriality or nationality, with the crime, the offender, or the
victim, provided such State is clearly able and willing to prosecute the
alleged offender’.
R13. Where a state has arrested a person suspected by a foreign state of a
serious crime of international concern allegedly perpetrated in the latter
state, and where the former state considers that the latter state is manifestly
unwilling or unable to conduct a fair trial consistent with international human
rights standards and to ensure respect for the internationally-guaranteed
human rights of detainees, it should, before refusing extradition and
exercising universal jurisdiction, notify the requesting state through
diplomatic channels of its decision and take into due consideration any
Version 31 March 09(FINAL)