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EU Travel Ban Fail: Mugabe is in Rome

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrived in Rome for the beatification of the late Pope John Paul II, airport officials said Saturday, despite his EU-wide travel ban for human rights abuses. How does that work then? I know that the Vatican City isn't part of the EU but Rome definitely is!

Apparently he wasn't invited. Will and Kate are lucky he didn't pitch up to the wedding! :rolleyes:

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Can't he just be arrested and taken to the ICC? Presumably he doesn't have diplomatic immunity.
Reply 2
Avatar for Aj12
Aj12
18
I say arrest him as he travels through Italy.

Whats the point in this if we are going to just let him go where he wants on special occasions?

More weakness from the EU. Their foreign policy is a joke
(edited 12 years ago)
The Vatican was damn silly to allow him to attend. Hopefully the priest who has to give him the Eucharist will refuse to give it to him.
(edited 12 years ago)
What would be the ramifications of arresting him for the Zimbabwean people? I'd love it to happen but if it's going to spark a bloody civil war in Zimbabwe I'd rather not. It looks like the power sharing agreement with Tsvangari has done a lot of good (comparably of course) for Zimbabweans and once he dies which should be very soon the country can move forward.
Reply 5
Avatar for chrislpp
chrislpp
15
What next, priests raping children!
Why would Italy arrest Mugabe? He's right up Berlusconi's street, really. A lecherous, cantankerous old git with an iron grip on his country.
Original post by MancStudent098
Can't he just be arrested and taken to the ICC? Presumably he doesn't have diplomatic immunity.


There are no pending charges against Mugabe at the ICC or any other of the courts in the Hague, so you can't just cart him off to jail. However he should definitely not have been allowed entry to Italy.
Who in the EU is responsible for granting the exemption? What's the point in a travel ban if he can just get exemptions whenever he wants to travel...
Reply 9
Avatar for tehFrance
tehFrance
17
Original post by PercyChatsworth
Vatican City isn't part of the EU but Rome definitely is!

There you have it, he cannot be arrested while he is in the Vatican City... however once in Rome he could be but is it worth it? how long has he got left to live?
Reply 10
Avatar for Vanbrugh
Vanbrugh
9
The Vatican is not in the EU. I'm sure they probably negotiated with the italian government to make the few kilometer journey to the vatican from the airport...
To arrest Mugabe, they'd need a warrant from Interpol or the Hague to do so. Hopefully, he'll give up the ghost soon and Zimbabwe, will be able to return to some sort of normality
Reply 12
Avatar for L i b
L i b
19
Original post by callum9999
Who in the EU is responsible for granting the exemption? What's the point in a travel ban if he can just get exemptions whenever he wants to travel...


It's not an exemption, it's a fundamental principle of the relations between Italy and the Vatican that foreign officials can travel through Italy to get to the Vatican without fear of any sort of molestation en route. It has been that way since the very foundation of the modern Vatican state.
Original post by L i b
It's not an exemption, it's a fundamental principle of the relations between Italy and the Vatican that foreign officials can travel through Italy to get to the Vatican without fear of any sort of molestation en route. It has been that way since the very foundation of the modern Vatican state.


The BBC are reporting that Italy had requested an exemption from the EU travel ban for Mugabe.
Reply 14
Avatar for sucess
sucess
18
Original post by PercyChatsworth
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe arrived in Rome for the beatification of the late Pope John Paul II, airport officials said Saturday, despite his EU-wide travel ban for human rights abuses. How does that work then? I know that the Vatican City isn't part of the EU but Rome definitely is!

Apparently he wasn't invited. Will and Kate are lucky he didn't pitch up to the wedding! :rolleyes:


he was invited thats why he was allowed to go through
Original post by sucess
he was invited thats why he was allowed to go through


No he wasn't specifically invited, but since Zimbabwe has diplomatic relations with the Vatican and Mugabe is Roman Catholic, they didn't turn him away.
Reply 16
Avatar for Smtn
Smtn
16
Catholics and evil dictators? That's new...






...is anyone surprised?
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 17
Avatar for Jacktri
Jacktri
2
Why would they arrest Mugabe I am not very well informed on him can someone tell me what he did to be potentially arrested?
Original post by L i b
It's not an exemption, it's a fundamental principle of the relations between Italy and the Vatican that foreign officials can travel through Italy to get to the Vatican without fear of any sort of molestation en route. It has been that way since the very foundation of the modern Vatican state.


It's not up to Italy though - it's an EU ruling. EU travel bans override any arrangements Italy may have in place, hence why they had to request an exemption.
Original post by Jacktri
Why would they arrest Mugabe I am not very well informed on him can someone tell me what he did to be potentially arrested?


I'm assuming this is a snide comment about how there is no arrest warrant or pending trial for him?

Although the people commenting may not know the intricacies of international law, it's pretty obvious what they mean. And it would easily follow that if they are questioning why he wasn't arrested, they feel there should be an arrest warrant/pending trial for him (as do I).

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