Celebrating a human rights victory

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 11th Apr 2002

The setting up today (April 11th) of the International Criminal Court is a great victory for the cause of international human rights, says London's Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Sarah Ludford.

It will be able to prosecute future murderous despots like Pinochet and Milosevic who commit crimes against humanity such as torture, ethnic cleansing, mass rape and disappearances.

Says Sarah: "I am proud that Britain has been one of the first to ratify the Statute, and that very soon all 15 EU states will have ratified." [the last Greece, is going through Parliament now]

Although temporary ad hoc courts have been set up to deal with specific atrocities, for example the Nuremberg tribunal for Nazi crimes, the Rwanda genocide court and the Hague international tribunal for ethnic cleansing in the Balkans, the ICC will be the first permanent court.

Says Sarah: "This court is far from perfect, because of various compromises that had to be made to get agreement. The major gap is the disgraceful refusal of the United States to take part, as well as the opposition of other important countries like China and Israel."

"But future tyrants will sleep a little less easily in their beds. That means the rest of us can sleep better, and those being persecuted right now might get a crucial little bit of comfort if they hear this news."