The Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA) in Johannesburg has submitted a 600-plus page document to the Office of the National Director of Public Prosecution calling for the arrest and prosecution of President Barack Obama when he visits South Africa later this month.
The submitted document calls for authorities to “arrest Obama when he visits.” The group says Obama has ordered drone strikes that killed innocent civilians, warranting a formal investigation.
“The complaint, dubbed the ‘Obama Docket’ encourages South Africa to take seriously its domestic and international obligations and to act against International War Criminals lest they consider South Africa a safe haven and travel here freely with impunity,” the Muslim group announced in a press release.
Muslim Lawyers in South Africa Wants Obama Prosecuted for War Crimes
President Barack Obama waves as he arrives at Miami International Airport in Miami, Wednesday, June 12, 2013. The president is attending a fundraiser in Miami Beach Wednesday night. Credit: AP
Obama, who is scheduled to visit South Africa on June 29, can technically be prosecuted under the Rome Statute, which gives the country authority to prosecute a war criminal on its territory. Though even the Muslim Lawyers Association has to know the odds of the president of the United States being arrested and prosecuted overseas are infinitely small.
The MLA describes itself as “a professional, apolitical and a non-profit making body which is committed towards creating a community free of injustices as expounded by the Holy Quraan and the practice (Sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).”
Jack Hillmeyer, a spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in South Africa said the embassy had “no comment.”
Meanwhile, “National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Bulelwa Makeke said the office had received the docket and was studying it,” according to Times LIVE in Johannesburg.
The Obama administration has been routinely criticized by opponents over its secretive drone program. A report from New York University and Stanford entitled, “Living Under Drones: Death, Injury and Trauma to Civilians From US Drone Practices in Pakistan,” claims Obama has ordered five times more drone attacks that former President George W. Bush.
The report also estimates that drones have killed 474 and 881 civilians, including 176 children. However, the data has not been verified.
Read a summary of the MLA’s so-called “Obama Docket” here.

Featured image via AP
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