Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:

"The ICC provides the best chance we have of justice for Darfur - an opportunity for the world to show that it has the means and the will to combat the horrific crimes that have taken place there.

"But we are dismayed by US efforts to weaken the resolution. It is a truly sorry state of affairs when one country decides to put its ideological opposition to the ICC over justice for tens of thousands of Sudanese people. The ICC should be supported by all states that value justice, not undermined at the first opportunity.

"There should be no exceptions. Justice should apply equally to all."

Amnesty International had called on all Security Council members to resist any attempts to broaden the impunity provisions in the French proposal.

Security Council members should, says Amnesty, respect the fundamental principle of equality of all before the law by not establishing exceptions to international justice.

Amnesty International has long campaigned for a referral of the crimes committed in Sudan to the ICC Prosecutor as a first step towards bringing justice to Sudan after two decades of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

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