The High Court in Pretoria on Sunday extended its earlier ruling barring Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir from leaving the country until it made a final decision on calls for his arrest on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague‚ the newspaper reported.
Judge Hans Fabricius gave the state until 9.30am on Monday to lodge responding affidavits. He urged the government to take “all necessary steps” to prevent Mr Bashir‚ who visited Johannesburg for an African Union (AU) summit‚ from leaving the country.
Meanwhile Sudan’s Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman on Sunday night said President Omar al-Bashir had left SA and was returning to the capital. “The president finished his business in SA and is coming back home‚” Mr Osman said by phone from Khartoum.
In a case that is set to pit SA’s international obligations against those continental‚ the judge on Sunday said the hearing would continue at 11am Monday. The judge granted relief sought by applicants‚ the South African Litigation Centre (SALC)‚ that will allow for contempt of court proceedings against Department of Home Affairs officials should Mr Bashir leave the country before the case is heard.
SALC wants SA to arrest and extradite Mr Bashir to the ICC. SA is a signatory of the ICC’s Rome Statute.
Where is Omar al-Bashir?
The High Court in Pretoria on Sunday extended its earlier ruling barring Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir from leaving the country until it made a final decision on calls for his arrest on a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) at the Hague‚ the newspaper reported.
Judge Hans Fabricius gave the state until 9.30am on Monday to lodge responding affidavits. He urged the government to take “all necessary steps” to prevent Mr Bashir‚ who visited Johannesburg for an African Union (AU) summit‚ from leaving the country.
Meanwhile Sudan’s Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman on Sunday night said President Omar al-Bashir had left SA and was returning to the capital. “The president finished his business in SA and is coming back home‚” Mr Osman said by phone from Khartoum.
In a case that is set to pit SA’s international obligations against those continental‚ the judge on Sunday said the hearing would continue at 11am Monday. The judge granted relief sought by applicants‚ the South African Litigation Centre (SALC)‚ that will allow for contempt of court proceedings against Department of Home Affairs officials should Mr Bashir leave the country before the case is heard.
SALC wants SA to arrest and extradite Mr Bashir to the ICC. SA is a signatory of the ICC’s Rome Statute.
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