British lawyer Amal Clooney appointed special adviser to ICC prosecutor

British human rights lawyer Amal Clooney was named Friday as one of 17 special advisers to the new chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

Clooney was appointed as an adviser on the Darfur region of Sudan, where prosecutors allege that government forces and militias backed by Khartoum carried out a campaign of genocide.

Other advisers focus on topics including crimes against children, gender persecution, sexual violence and slavery.

I am delighted to welcome such an outstanding group of experts and I am grateful for their willingness to serve as my Special Advisers," Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement. I have no doubt that with their enormous experience and hugely impressive credentials, they will significantly contribute to the work of the Office and the cause of international criminal justice.

Clooney recently served as a legal representative for 126 survivors of crimes committed in Darfur, in a case against a leader of the government-backed Janjaweed militia.