Law & Order: Accountability for the Arab World’s Deposed Leaders

Attempts to hold former government officials accountable for past crimes have been either absent or selectively applied. Recent events in the Middle East thus present a rare and historic opportunity.

by Maryam Jamshidi

Recent calls for political change across the Middle East and North Africa have come hand in hand with demands for legal reform and, in many cases, with calls to hold deposed leaders and regime elites, who have long-acted with impunity in their countries, legally accountable for their actions. For instance, in Tunisia, the interim government has formally requested the extradition of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14, 2011, after stepping down as Tunisia’s leader following 23 days of mass protests. During Egypt’s 18-day revolt, protestors’ demands included calls for the prosecution of President Hosni Mubarak for atrocities committed both before and during the uprising. Calls for legal investigation have been even more pronounced against Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi, as numerous allegations have surfaced since the beginning of the Libyan uprising on February 15 of government atrocities against protestors. On Friday February 26, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to refer Libya and Qaddafi to the International Criminal Court (ICC), for formal investigation of alleged crimes against humanity committed by the Libyan government. On March 3, the ICC prosecutor announced his intention to investigate Qaddafi and other government officials for these alleged crimes.