Brasília, July 3, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Brazilian Justice, Sílvia Steiner, who took a seat in March on the International Tribunal in the Hague, Netherlands, said today that she believes, with time, the obstacles that prevent the United States from adhering to the norms of international criminal law will be overcome. In an attitude rejecting the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, the government in Washington decided to suspend military aid to 32 countries, including Brazil, which did not sign agreements guaranteeing immunity to Americans in trials for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

For the Justice, the difficulty the United States has in accepting juridical norms that originate in other countries has historical explanations, but these ideas tend to change. "They (the US) will understand, in practice, the Tribunal's complementary nature," she said. Linked to the Hague Court, the International Criminal Tribunal is a United Nations organ created last year for the purpose of judging war crimes and crimes against humanity. Judge Steiner made these declarations in an interview with Radiobrás. (DAS)