Amnesty welcomes Bozize arrest warrant

Responding to the arrest warrant issued by the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in the Central African Republic against former President François Bozize, Amnesty International official Samira Daoud said it was a welcome step ‘in the quest for justice for victims of the numerous crimes committed in the CAR’. ‘However, the SCC can only fulfill its mandate of investigating and prosecuting those responsible for the numerous atrocities committed in the country if national authorities and all states fully co-operate. At least 25 arrest warrants have previously been issued by the SCC, but the suspects are still at large. Daoud called on Guinea Bissau, where François Bozizé currently resides, to arrest him without delay and transfer him to CAR authorities who must promptly bring him before the SCC. The SCC is a hybrid court established in the CAR since 2018. It is composed of Central African and non-Central African judges and personnel. It was created to investigate, prosecute and judge the most serious crimes committed since 2003.

Francois Bozize profile

Amnesty International statement