ICJ Denies Provisional Relief to Congo in Belgian Arrest Warrant against Foreign Minister

On December 8, 2000, the International Court of Justice by a vote of fifteen to two rejected the Republic of Congo’s request for indication of provisional measures while explaining its decision did not prejudge the right of the Court to deal with either the merits or the admissibility of the Congo’s application. The decision concerned the Congo’s request to annul the Belgian arrest warrant issued on April 11, 2000 by investigating judge, Mr. Vandermeersch of the Brussels tribunal of first instance against Mr. Abdulaye Yerodia Ndombasi, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Congo. The decision seeks a provisional detention of Mr. Ndombasi pending a request for extradition to Belgium for alleged crimes constituting “serious violations of international humanitarian law”, and the distribution of the warrant by the judge to all states…[more]