Iran's Ahmadinejad Proposes World Islamic Court for War Crimes

Iran's president is calling for the creation of an international Islamic court to try war criminals and other human rights violators.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad raised the idea Tuesday during a speech to judiciary chiefs from Islamic countries at a conference in Tehran. He did not give any details about who might be tried under an international Islamic court or how it would operate.

The international community already has two courts -- one to deal with criminals and another that handles disputes between states. Both are based in The Hague.

In his speech, Mr. Ahmadinejad said that some international organizations such as the U.N. Security Council have not been founded on the basis of justice. The Council has been pressuring Iran to suspend uranium enrichment until it resolves concerns about its nuclear ambitions.

Mr. Ahmadinejad says that some Security Council members have what he calls "special rights" allowing them to raise complaints, prosecute and judge other nations.

Iran's legal system is based on Islamic sharia law.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.