Joseph Nzirorera, an accused in the ongoing Karemera et al. case, passed away in Arusha on 1 July 2010, following sudden complications of a long illness. Nzirorera was former President of the National Assembly and Secretary-General of the Mouvement Républicain pour la Démocratie et le Développement (MRND). He was jointly tried with Edouard Karemera, former [...]
Guest Post by Orla Cronin.
On 30 June 2010, Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) found Yussuf Munyakazi guilty of genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity, and sentenced him to 25 years imprisonment. The Chamber, presided over by Cameroonian Judge Florence Rita Arrey, found that Munyakazi was responsible for [...]
ICTR defence lawyer Peter Erlinder has departed Rwanda following his successful bail application to Rwanda’s High Court. He is now in Kenya following a concerted campaign for his release by lawyers, NGOs and the US government.
According the ruling by High Court President Johnston Busingye: “Having referred to all circumstances of the case, and without dwelling further [...]
In a disturbing development, US law professor Peter Erlinder has been arrested in Rwanda for allegedly denying genocide. Erlinder was in the country to defend Victoire Ingabire, a leading opposition politician charged with propagating genocide ideology after she called for action to be taken against those responsible for killing Hutus during the 1994 conflict. The ICTR [...]
Last week the Appeals Chamber of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) rendered two judgements; affirming Simon Bikindi’s conviction and sentence of 15 years in prison and reversing a number of convictions of Simèon Nchamihigo and reducing his sentence to 40 years instead of life imprisonment.
Simon Bikindi
On 2 December 2008 Trial Chamber [...]
It was reported yesterday that the widow of Rwanda’s former President Juvénal Habyarimana, Agathe, was arrested in France on the basis of an international arrest warrant seeking her extradition to Rwanda to stand trial for charges related to genocide. Agathe Habyarimana is accused by the current Rwandan government of helping to plan the 1994 genocide, and [...]
Covering case updates and developments for December 2009 – January 2010: ICTR Newsletter -Dec09-Jan10
On Friday 15 January, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a 500-page digest entitled “Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity: A Digest of the Case Law of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda”.
The important judicial decisions of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) have enriched the law on genocide, war crimes, and crimes against [...]
According to news reports this morning former intelligence chief, Idelphonse Nizeyimana has been arrested in Kampala. As intelligence chief Idelphonse Nizeyimana is thought to have organised the killing of many ethnic Tutsis – He is thought to have ordered the execution of Queen Dowager Rosalie Gicanda at the beginning of the killings in Butare.
On November 27, 2000, the International Criminal Tribunal [...]
On Thursday 17th September 2009, the former Director-General of the office controlling the Rwandan tea industry, Michel Bagaragaza, pleaded guilty to one count of complicity in genocide before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). The Prosecution presented the plea agreement to the Trial Chamber together with a newly amended Indictment containing the single count.
The trial [...]
The ICTR Defence Bar is holding a conference on ‘The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda: An Independent Conference on its Legacy from the Defence Perspective” . It will take place in The Hague on November 14-15 2009. The purpose and scope of the conference is described as follows:
” As the U.N Security Council “completion strategy” [...]
The trial of Gaspard Kanyarukiga will begin at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on 31 August 2009. Gaspard Kanyarukiga was born in 1945 in the commune of Kivumu, Kibuye prefecture, Rwanda. At the time of the events, he was a businessman. Together with Athanase Seromba he is accused of planning the massacre of some [...]
Yesterday, July 7th, the Security Council extended the terms of the judges serving at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) so they can complete remaining cases by the deadline set for the courts’ work. The Council, in two separate resolutions that were adopted unanimously, urged [...]
On Thursday 18 December 2008 at 10:00 hrs Trial Chamber III will deliver judgement in the case of the Prosecutor vs Zigiranyirazo, and at 12, noon, Trial Chamber I will deliver judgement in the case of the Prosecutor vs Bagosora et al
The summary of the judgement can be found here:
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain/opendocpdf.pdf?reldoc=y&docid=4935248c2
See also below article on the Bikindi Judgement; The article can be found here:
http://www.rnw.nl/internationaljustice/tribunals/ICTR/081202-bikindi-genocide
Many Hutu killers sang his songs when they slaughtered ethnic Tutsis during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The Rwandan singer-songwriter Simon Bikindi incited civilians to kill Tutsis. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in [...]