Jump to:
TITLE II COOPERATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
CHAPTER IV ARREST, TRANSFER, TRANSIT AND SURRENDER OF PERSONS TO THE COURT
SECTION II REQUESTS FOR PROVISIONAL ARREST
Article 14
1. In accordance with article 92 of the Statute, in urgent cases the Court may request, by any medium capable of delivering a written record, the provisional arrest of the person sought. The request shall contain the material referred to in article 92, paragraph 2 of the Statute pending the transmission of the material referred to in article 91 of the Statute.
2. The request for provisional arrest shall be executed on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the investigating judge of the place where the person in question has his or her residence or was found. The arrest warrant must be served within 24 hours of the person in question being taken into custody. The investigating judge shall verify that the identity of the person has not been mistaken and that the material referred to in article 92, paragraph 2 of the Statute has been provided.
3. The central authority shall be notified of the provisional arrest by the investigating judge referred to in paragraph 2 above. It shall inform the Court immediately and invite it to submit a request for arrest and surrender.
4. The person under provisional arrest shall be brought within five days before the chambre du conseil of the place where the person has his or her residence or was found. It shall verify that there was no mistake as to the identity of the person and that the supporting material referred to in article 92, paragraph 2 of the Statute has been provided. After hearing the public prosecutor, the person charged and the latter’s counsel, the chambre du conseil shall decide within the time period referred to above whether it is warranted to maintain the provisional arrest. In the event of a challenge to the provisional arrest on the basis of a violation of the principle of non bis in idem, the time period within which the chambre du conseil must rule on this point shall be suspended for the duration of the consultations between the central authority and the Court referred to in article 89, paragraph 2 of the Statute.
5. The public prosecutor and the person charged may lodge an appeal before the indictment chamber within 24 hours of the order of the chambre du conseil. The person charged shall remain in custody until the end of that time period. The indictment chamber shall rule within eight days of hearing the public prosecutor, the person charged and the latter’s counsel. If the appeal hinges on a challenge for a violation of the principle of non bis in idem, the time period within which the indictment chamber must rule on this point shall be suspended for the duration of the consultations between the central authority and the Court referred to in article 89, paragraph 2 of the Statute. The person charged shall remain in custody pending a ruling on the appeal.
Article 15
In accordance with article 92 of the Statute, a person under provisional arrest shall in all cases be released from custody if the central authority has not received the request for arrest and surrender and the supporting documentation specified in article 91 of the Statute within three months of the date of provisional arrest.
TITLE II COOPERATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
CHAPTER IV ARREST, TRANSFER, TRANSIT AND SURRENDER OF PERSONS TO THE COURT
SECTION III TRANSFER OF PERSONS ARRESTED
Article 17
A person under provisional arrest may consent to being transferred even if the conditions for his or her transfer have not been fulfilled. Consent must be established by written record in the presence of a member of the public prosecutor’s office, following a hearing by the latter to inform the person in question of his or her right to formal surrender proceedings. The person in question may be assisted by counsel at the hearing.
Article 58
Issuance by the Pre-Trial Chamber of a warrant of arrest or a summons to appear
5. On the basis of the warrant of arrest, the Court may request the provisional arrest or the
arrest and surrender of the person under Part 9.
Article 59
Arrest proceedings in the custodial State
1. A State Party which has received a request for provisional arrest or for arrest and surrender
shall immediately take steps to arrest the person in question in accordance with its laws and the
provisions of Part 9.
2. A person arrested shall be brought promptly before the competent judicial authority in the
custodial State which shall determine, in accordance with the law of that State, that:
(a) The warrant applies to that person;
(b) The person has been arrested in accordance with the proper process; and
(c) The person’s rights have been respected.
3. The person arrested shall have the right to apply to the competent authority in the custodial
State for interim release pending surrender.
4. In reaching a decision on any such application, the competent authority in the custodial
State shall consider whether, given the gravity of the alleged crimes, there are urgent and
exceptional circumstances to justify interim release and whether necessary safeguards exist to
ensure that the custodial State can fulfil its duty to surrender the person to the Court. It shall not be
open to the competent authority of the custodial State to consider whether the warrant of arrest
was properly issued in accordance with article 58, paragraph 1 (a) and (b).
5. The Pre-Trial Chamber shall be notified of any request for interim release and shall make
recommendations to the competent authority in the custodial State. The competent authority in
the custodial State shall give full consideration to such recommendations, including any
recommendations on measures to prevent the escape of the person, before rendering its decision.
6. If the person is granted interim release, the Pre-Trial Chamber may request periodic
reports on the status of the interim release.
7. Once ordered to be surrendered by the custodial State, the person shall be delivered to the
Court as soon as possible.
Article 92
Provisional arrest
1. In urgent cases, the Court may request the provisional arrest of the person sought, pending presentation of the request for surrender and the documents supporting the request as specified in article 91.
2. The request for provisional arrest shall be made by any medium capable of delivering a written record and shall contain:
(a) Information describing the person sought, sufficient to identify the person, and information as to that person's probable location;
(b) A concise statement of the crimes for which the person's arrest is sought and of the facts which are alleged to constitute those crimes, including, where possible, the date and location of the crime;
(c) A statement of the existence of a warrant of arrest or a judgement of conviction against the person sought; and
(d) A statement that a request for surrender of the person sought will follow.
3. A person who is provisionally arrested may be released from custody if the requested State has not received the request for surrender and the documents supporting the request as specified in article 91 within the time limits specified in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. However, the person may consent to surrender before the expiration of this period if permitted by the law of the requested State. In such a case, the requested State shall proceed to surrender the person to the Court as soon as possible.
4. The fact that the person sought has been released from custody pursuant to paragraph 3 shall not prejudice the subsequent arrest and surrender of that person if the request for surrender and the documents supporting the request are delivered at a later date.