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Sudanese President and ICC-indicted war criminal, Omar al-Bashir, said in a statement on Sunday that he plans to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, despite widespread calls for his arrest.

Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2009 and 2010 on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Since 2003, Darfur, Sudan has been the focal point of an ongoing genocide perpetuated by the Sudanese government which is accused of funding an Arab militia known as the Janjaweed. According to the Enough Project, 300,000 people have been killed and nearly 4 million displaced as a result of the genocide. Other reports claim these numbers are even higher.

Despite the strong evidence against him, Bashir denies the ICC’s allegations, stating that reports of killings have been exaggerated, and calling the ICC a “western plot” that wrongly targets African leaders.

Because the United States is not a member of the International Criminal Court, it is not legally obligated to hand Bashir over to the ICC. Furthermore, as host to the UN General Assembly, the U.S. is forbidden from denying Bashir’s request to attend the assembly. Regardless, the Obama administration has publicly voiced concerns over the planned trip.

This past Thursday, more than 20 human rights organizations came together to release a public coalition letter to President Obama. In the letter, they ask that steps be taken to dissuade Bashir’s impending trip. The coalition suggests, among other things, that if Bashir steps foot on U.S. soil, the Department of Justice “explores filing a criminal case against against him under 18 USC 1091 (Genocide Accountability Act of 2007)” which allows the prosecution of genocide for anyone present in the U.S., regardless of whether or not their crimes were committed in the United States.

Additionally, the letter suggests that the U.S. dissuade his visit by offering his delegation minimal protection, asking countries along his flightpath to refuse landing rights, and by “coordinating a walk out of the UN General Assembly session in protest of President Bashir’s presence.”

The letter is signed by George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Mia Farrow, John Prendergast, representatives from United to End Genocide, Humanity United, and several other key actors in the Sudanese conflict.

To add your name to the letter click here.

(Photo credit: AP)