US Secretary of State Clinton says al-Bashir can "have his day in court"

Reuters report 4 March 2009 - excerpt:
Clinton says al-Bashir can "have his day in court":

(BRUSSELS) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday if Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir believed he had been wrongly charged for war crimes in Darfur he could "have his day in court".

Speaking to reporters en route to Brussels, Clinton said she hoped the indictment issued earlier by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague would not lead to "increased violence" on the part of Sudan's government.

"President Bashir would have a chance to have his day in court if he believes that the indictment is wrongly charged. He can certainly contest it," said Clinton.

"I certainly hope that it does not lead to any additional actions of violence or punishment on the part of the Bashir government," added Clinton.

The top U.S. diplomat said the ICC had issued its indictment based on a very long investigation and the case was now in the judicial system "properly so". [...]

"Governments and individuals who either conduct or condone atrocities of any kind, as we have seen year after year in Sudan, have to be held accountable," she said. [...]
(Reporting by Sue Pleming; Editing by Louise Ireland)