The China Tribunal
On the charges against President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, for the Crime of Aggression, Crimes against Humanity and Genocide
“We all know there was an effort to prevent this court from meeting. There were threats from the Chinese directed towards the owners and administration”
- Judge Zak Yacoob
Sunday 7th July - Friday, 12th July 2024
The Court of the Citizens of the World China Tribunal commenced in The Hague on Monday 8th July with a Judgement scheduled for Friday 12th July. A Victims’ Hearing took place on Sunday 7th July.
The Court considered charges against Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China for evidence of the self determination of the Taiwanese people and the crime of aggression against Taiwan and neighbouring states; crimes against humanity in Tibet; and crimes against humanity and genocide against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang. The Tribunal proceedings will provide a platform for highlighting the plight of victims and will serve as a blueprint to prosecute the alleged crimes in an international court or national courts under the principles of universal jurisidiction.
On the ICC Arrest Warrant Applications Against Israeli and Palestinian Leadership
The Israel & Palestine Summit
Saturday, 13th July 2024
Following the application for the arrest warrants against the leaders of Israel—Prime Minister of Israel BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, the defense minister YOAV GALLANT—and the leaders of Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, also known as Hamas—Former Prime Minister ISMAIL HANIYEH, Hamas Chief in Gaza YAHYA SINWAR and Head of the Military Wing MOHAMMED DEIF—the Summit will bring together distinguished experts, practitioners, and advocates from different backgrounds with the following panels:
Legal Grounds for ICC Actions
The Evolving Definition of War Crimes and the Borderlines of Appropriate Military Action in Gaza
The Crime of Aggression and the Kampala Amendment: Evolving Statutes for the ICC on the Crime of Aggression
How Governments Should Engage with Judicial Processes at the ICC
The Summit will feature the following distinguished experts, politicians, advocates and leaders as speakers:
GEOFFREY ROBERTSON KC: Founder and joint head of Doughty Street Chambers, high profile barrister and academic
Hon. Amb. STEPHEN RAPP: Former US Ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice
Prof. Dr. HERTA DÄUBLER-GMELIN: Former German Minister of Justice and an influential voice in international legal reforms
DAVID CRANE: Founding Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, prominent figure in international law
SILVIA ARBIA: Former Chief of Prosecutions at ICTR. Former ICC Registrar with extensive experience in international criminal justice administration
Live Updates
The China Tribunal was live-streamed daily from The Hague.
The China Tribunal Live Stream: 12.07.2024
The China Tribunal Live Stream: 11.07.2024
Summary of the First Day of the China Tribunal. 08.07.2024, The Hague.
The Opening of the China Tribunal
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Co-Patron Oleksandra Matviichuk on Impunity in Russia and China
Proceedings began on Monday, July 8 2024, with evidence of Taiwan's statehood and right to self-determination, followed by Chinese aggression in Taiwan and neighbouring regions. The tribunal then considered crimes against humanity in Tibet and genocide against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Expert witnesses and victims provided detailed accounts of these alleged crimes. The tribunal will conclude with final arguments and the judges' deliberation, leading to the public announcement of the verdict.
The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk addressed the opening of the Court session yesterday with a speech delivered personally for The CCW China Tribunal.
"If we want to fight for justice, we have to fight for justice globally. And that is why it's so important to stop human suffering and human rights violations in China, because countries which prosecute their own civil society, jail tech activists, kill journalists, disperse peaceful demonstrations, such a country poses a threat, not only for their own citizens, but also for the entire world, because peace and human rights are inextricably linked”.
Victim Testimonies
“This warrant was the turning point of my life when I knew there was no more place for me in Tibet”.
Guoluo Juimei, Monk from Labrang Monastery
“I was beaten by police who did not talk at all, until all my clothes were wet with blood. I heard someone saying you have to stop otherwise he will die, and the police were saying just kill him. They took me into custody and they kept beating me. The worst thing was they were beating me by the guns big handle, it feels like torture.”
Jigme Golok, Tibetan Bhuddist Monk and Former Political Prisoner
Legal Panel
Meet the Members of the Panel of Judges and Prosecutors
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Stephen Rapp
PRESIDING JUDGE
The Hon. Amb. Stephen Rapp, head judge for the Tribunal, former US Ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice, appointed by Obama, former Chief Prosecutor for the Special Court of Sierra Leone where he led the prosecution for the former Liberian President Charles Taylor, and has served as senior trial attorney and chief of Prosecutions at International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
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Bhavani Fonseka
JUDGE
Bhavani Fonseka is a prominent Sri Lankan constitutional and human rights lawyer and activist. She is a researcher and Attorney at Law in the Centre for Policy Alternative, a member of the policy committee of Human Rights Watch and counsel to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
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Zak Yacoob
JUDGE
Zac Yacoob is a retired South African judge who served the maximum 15 year term in the constitutional court of South Africa appointed by Nelson Mandela. Before joining the Bench he was a practising advocate and anti apartheid activist.
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Jonathan Rees KC
PROSECUTOR
Jonathan Rees KC has a heavyweight practice in complex international crime. He is a member of the lists of counsel for the International Criminal Court and has defended in the Trial Chamber of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and appeared as first Appellant in proceedings before the Court of Appeals Panel for the same.
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Lyma Nguyen
PROSECUTOR
Lyma Nguyen is an internationally recognised barrister and expert in international criminal law and human rights. She is on the List of Counsel at the International Criminal Court, and served for more than a decade at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia playing a crucial role in representing victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. She is a member of the Legal Advisory Committee of the International Criminal Bar Association.
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Daniel Arshack
DEFENCE
Dan Arschack is an American criminal defence attorney, co founder of The Bronx Defenders, managing partner of the law firm Arshack, Hajek and Lehrman, PLLC and a founding member of the International Criminal Bar.
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Steve Kelliher
DEFENCE
Steven Kelliher has been a leading criminal and civil courtroom lawyer for the past 40 years and acted as Counsel in over 100 reported cases. He is former Vice-President of the International Criminal Bar and served as Defence Counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
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Gilbert Andres
DEFENCE
Gilbert Andres is Senior partner at Butuyan & Rayel Law Offices in the Philippines, specialising in international human rights law, international humanitarian law and criminal law.
War and Justice Film Screening
Friday, 12th July 2024
A screening of the documentary War and Justice on the history of the ICC, by Marcus Vetter, was held in the Hague with an introduction and Q&A session by the filmmaker Marcus Vetter and opening remarks by Luis Moreno-Ocampo (the ICC’s first prosecutor) whom the Court introduced to one another.
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