Under a new law signed today by US President George W. Bush, leaders of military forces and armed groups who have recruited child soldiers may be arrested and prosecuted in the United States.

On December 6, 2006, the United States Department of Justice indicted Charles “Chuckie” Taylor, Jr., son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, for committing torture in Liberia.

Diplomats, judges, lawyers, human rights activists and members of nongovernmental organizations are currently marking the 10th anniversary of the completion of the treaty that established the International Criminal Court. The court's creation was an extraordinary step in extending the reach of law to those responsible for the mass slaughter of civilians and the use of rape as a weapon of war.

Taylor gained international notoriety for the brutal abuses of civilians perpetrated by his NPFL forces in Liberia, and for use of child soldiers organized by the NPFL into “Small Boy Units.”

The decision by Sierra Leone’s war crimes court to reject sentence reductions for two convicted militia members because they fought for a “legitimate cause” is crucial in ensuring justice for all victims of human rights violations, Human Rights Watch said today.

On March 12 and 13, the Appeals Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone will hold hearings on appeals against the convictions and sentencing of Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa. These individuals were convicted on several counts of serious violations of international humanitarian law in connection with acts that they had committed, or had been responsible for, while members of the government-backed Civil Defence Forces (CDF) during Sierra Leone’s decade-long conflict. The upcoming hearings will raise a very important issue for the enforcement of international humanitarian law: whether applicable international legal standards allow factors such as political motivations and the party to the conflict for which a perpetrator fought to serve as a basis for mitigation in sentencing.

Human Rights Watch writes to urge Dr. Ihsanoglu to use his position as Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to support measures at the upcoming Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference in Dakar, Senegal on March 13-14 that would improve and strengthen the 1999 OIC Convention on Combating International Terrorism. In particular, the OIC should consider two amendments to the Convention to narrow its overbroad definition of terrorism and make absolutely clear that there is no sanction in Islam for deliberately attacking civilians, whatever the circumstances or justifications.

The ICC has made important strides in the past year. It has issued arrest warrants for alleged perpetrators of grave crimes in three country situations. It has opened a fourth investigation in the Central African Republic and has started preparing for its first trial, which will begin in the spring of 2008. Through its field offices in four countries, there has been important progress in enhancing the court’s presence on the ground. We have also seen important developments in case law emanating from the pre-trial chambers.