An Egyptian diplomat said Tuesday that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir would be safe from prosecution in Egypt if the country becomes a member of the International Criminal Court.
At a press conference, Ambassador Mahmoud Ezzat, chief of judicial administration at the Foreign Ministry, said Egypt has had a clear stance on the Rome Statute since it was established.
He said al-Bashir could visit Egypt any time because of the ties of respect between the two countries.
"Cairo will not take any procedure that is inconsistent with its policies and historic relationships with the Sudanese people," said Ezzat.
The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC) that states the terms by which it functions.
In July, the court added genocide to the list of accusations against al-Bashir. In 2009, the ICC issued put out an arrest warrant for al-Bashir, accusing him of crimes against humanity in Darfur.
Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi had previously said Egypt is considering joining the ICC.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
