People detained by the

International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals f ...

(ICC) are held in the ICC's detention centre, which is located within a Dutch prison in Scheveningen,

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

. The ICC was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for

genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Lat ...

, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the

crime of aggression A crime of aggression or crime against peace is the planning, initiation, or execution of a large-scale and serious act of aggression using state military force. The definition and scope of the crime is controversial. The Rome Statute contains an ...

.United Nations Department of Public Information (December 2002)
''The International Criminal Court''
Retrieved on July 7, 2008. As of June 2018, it has issued public arrest warrants for 42 individuals, six of whom are currently in custody of the court. The ICC detention centre is for holding people who have been charged with crimes, not for imprisoning convicted criminals. As such, all detainees are considered innocent until their guilt has been proven. Upon conviction by the ICC, criminals are transferred outside the Netherlands to serve their sentences.

Detention centre

The ICC currently has twelve detention cells in a Dutch prison in Scheveningen, The Hague.Emma Thomasson (February 28, 2006).
ICC says cells ready for Uganda war crimes suspects
''. Reuters. Retrieved on July 7, 2008. Suspects held by the

International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, also referred to as the IRMCT or the Mechanism, is an international court established by the United Nations Security Council in 2010 to perform the remaining functions of the Internati ...

are held in the same prison and share some facilities, like the fitness room, but have no contact with suspects held by the ICC. The ICC registrar is responsible for managing the detention centre. The rules governing detainment are contained in Chapter 6 of the ''Regulations of the Court''International Criminal Court (May 26, 2004). , Chapter 6. Retrieved on July 7, 2008. and Chapter 5 of the ''Regulations of the Registry''.International Criminal Court (September 25, 2006). , Chapter 5. Retrieved on July 7, 2008. The

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...

(ICRC) has unrestricted access to the detention centre.International Criminal Court (March 29, 2006). , Article 4. Retrieved on July 7, 2008.

Facilities

Each individual has his own toilet and washing area.International Criminal Court (April 2006).
''FAQ about detention put to Terry Jackson, Chief Custody Officer of the ICC''
. ICC Newsletter No. 7. Retrieved on July 7, 2008. Each has access to a small

gym A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational i ...

and is offered training with a

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...

instructor. Detainees are provided with meals, but they may also cook for themselves, purchase food from the prison shop, and have ingredients ordered in. However, Charles Taylor's lawyers have complained that "the food which is served is completely eurocentric and not palatable to the African palate". Each detainee has a

personal computer A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...

in his cell, on which he can view material related to his case.International Criminal Court (2007). . Retrieved on July 7, 2008. They are offered computer training, if required, and language courses.

Detainees' rights

Detainees are allowed to communicate in private with their defense teams and diplomatic representatives of their countries of origin. They are permitted visits from family members, spouses and partners, and spiritual advisors.

List of detainees

The following table lists all the people who have been held at the ICC detention centre since it was established in 2006. The first person ever detained by the court was

Thomas Lubanga Thomas Lubanga Dyilo (born 29 December 1960) is a convicted war criminal from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the first person ever convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). He founded and led the Union of Congolese P ...

, who arrived at the detention centre on March 17, 2006.International Criminal Court (March 17, 2006).
First arrest for the International Criminal Court
'. Retrieved on July 7, 2008. Three former prisoners have been released or transferred, including Charles Taylor, who was tried in the

Special Court for Sierra Leone The Special Court for Sierra Leone, or the "Special Court" (SCSL), also called the Sierra Leone Tribunal, was a judicial body set up by the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations to "prosecute persons who bear the greatest responsibil ...

. His trial was held at the ICC's facilities in The Hague because of political and security concerns about holding the trial in

Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and po ...

.Alexandra Hudson (May 31, 2007).
''Warlord Taylor's home is lonely Dutch prison''
Reuters. Retrieved on July 7, 2008.BBC News (June 20, 2006).
Q&A: Trying Charles Taylor
'. Retrieved on July 7, 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:People Detained By The International Criminal Court The Hague Lists of people by legal status

Detention centre

Facilities

Detainees' rights

List of detainees

See also

References