Iain Edwards has been appointed as associate Counsel to defend Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.  Mr Abd-Al-Rahman – said by the Prosecution to have used the alias Ali Kushayb – is allegedly a senior leader of the Arab militia in Darfur, Sudan known as the Janjaweed. He is charged with 31 counts of murder, rape, forcible transfer, persecution and torture as crimes against humanity, and numerous war crimes, arising out of the conflict in Darfur.

This case is the first at the ICC to deal with the situation in Darfur. It is also the first case to be referred to the ICC by the United Nations Security Council in respect of a State (Sudan) that is not a party to the Court’s Statute. This provides a unique opportunity for the defence to advance novel jurisdictional challenges.

The trial is scheduled to commence in April 2022.