The Senate has broadened the definition of crimes against humanity and brought war crimes into the penal code in a bid to ensure that French laws are in compliance with the convention establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), the media reported Wednesday.
The bill amending the existing laws was adopted unanimously during the first reading, with many lawmakers concurring with the government that the move was "long overdue."
The amendment means that French judicial authorities will be able to pursue and prosecute "any person who is habitually resident" in France and is guilty of crimes against humanity elsewhere, if his country of origin is a signatory to the Rome Convention that established the ICC.
During the parliamentary session, former Socialist Justice Minister Robert Badinter had ardently defended an amendment proposing the prosecution of any person "found" in France, saying the residence requirement was "too restrictive." But, his motion was defeated during voting at the request of the government.
"You are not going to do any favors to criminals against humanity!" the former justice minister told lawmakers, adding that current French laws allowed for the prosecution of perpetrators of torture without the residence condition.
"By refusing this amendment, we will be treating criminals against humanity better than the way we deal with the perpetrators of torture," said the former minister, drawing cheers from a section of the house.
This amendment "reflects the full commitment of France to respect and uphold the principles of international humanitarian law and international criminal law," said French Justice Minister Rachida Dati.
The bill "adapting our criminal law to the institution of the International Criminal Court" will notably allow authorities to pursue people accused of either taking part "directly" or "inciting the public to commit genocide," said one lawmaker.
The new law has broadened the definition of crimes against humanity, which is currently limited to putting people in a concentration camp, enslavement and abduction, according to the lawmaker.
The amendments mean that "false imprisonment, rape, forced prostitution or sexual violence and particularly serious acts such as segregation, deliberate damage to life or extermination are part of crimes against humanity," said the justice minister.
"The text also stipulates criminal responsibility of the supervisor in case a crime against humanity is committed by a subordinate," said the minister, describing the success of the vote as victory in efforts to punish serious crimes around the world.
The new bill, said a lawmaker, defines war crimes in line with the ICC standards and introduces them under a special section of the French penal code.
Source:Xinhua
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