Contact: Jeff Walton, Institute on Religion and Democracy, 202-682-4131, jwalton@TheIRD.org

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- President Omar al Bashir of Sudan has applied for a visa to attend the U.N. General Assembly meeting next week in New York. Bashir has been indicted on 10 counts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, and is currently prosecuting multiple wars in Sudan.

This week a coalition of Sudan activists, including the Institute on Religion and Democracy, released an open letter to President Obama urging that he not allow Bashir to come to the United States. The letter, signed by 25 Sudan activists and genocide experts, declares that "it is unprecedented for someone wanted by the International Criminal Court for the crime of genocide to travel to the United States."

Letter signers, who include actors/Sudan activists George Clooney, Don Cheadle and Mia Farrow, urge that Obama publicly raise the threat of possible criminal prosecution of Bashir. "By publicly raising the threat of such a prosecution and the specter that President Bashir's privileges and immunities may not extend to genocidal acts, your administration would make an important statement about the U.S. government's commitment to atrocity prevention and accountability," the letter reads.

The letter is viewable at:
enoughproject.org/reports/public-coalition-letter-bashir-trip

IRD Religious Liberty Program Director Faith J.H. McDonnell commented:

"Hundreds of thousands have been killed and displaced by the current actions of Bashir's government, and millions are at risk from starvation and disease. Under no circumstances should the United States government allow this war criminal to enter the country.

"It is unthinkable that our government would not do whatever it needs to do to stop Bashir -- who has referred to the black, African people of the Nuba Mountains as 'rubbish' and 'insects' and whose terrorism against his own people is one and the same with jihadists that attacked America -- from entering the United States.

"The Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), an organization that uses litigation to hold perpetrators individually accountable for human rights abuses, has informed the Obama Administration that it is not enough to issue statements 'deploring' the visit. The CJA says that 'instead of wringing its hands, the U.S. can and should take affirmative steps to transfer al-Bashir to the ICC,' because 'the U.S. has binding obligations under the Convention Against Torture and the Geneva Conventions to extradite or prosecute perpetrators of torture or war crimes, such as al-Bashir.'"