A prominent Argentine lawyer, Moreno Ocampo built his career prosecuting members of the military junta following Argentina’s “dirty war” in the 1980’s. Under his leadership, the prosecutorial team received complaints of thousands of human rights abuses included kidnapping, torture, and disappearances.

In addition to his experiences in Argentina, Moreno Ocampo currently serves as the Robert F. Kennedy Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School and has worked internationally with Transparency International. “The United States can no longer legitimately claim to be concerned about a politically motivated Prosecutor - Dr. Moreno Ocampo brings to the Court a demonstrated commitment to the pursuit of justice and human rights without regard to politics,” said Fiona McKay, the Director of the International Justice Program at the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. “With such a highly qualified individual selected to serve as its public face, the International Criminal Court can now look to the difficult task of selecting its first cases.”

Although it is expected to be many months before the Court is ready to issue its first indictments, the appointment of the Prosecutor allows for many key steps to begin, including the creation of a team of investigators, prosecutors, and others who will respond to information and complaints sent to the Court. Communications waiting to be considered include information concerning some of the most acute human rights crises in the world.

The only remaining major appointment to the Court is the Registrar. The first bench of 18 judges was elected in February.

Background on Luis Moreno Ocampo.

More Information on the International Criminal Court.