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01 Feb 2012 NPWJ News Digest on international criminal justice
NPWJ in the news
Qatari NGO to Train Tunisian Judiciary and Security Forces in Transitional Justice
Wiem Melki, Tunisia Live, 31 Jan 2012
The Transitional Justice Academy has organized a series of training seminars for security forces, lawyers, and judges to address the challenges associated with the implementation of transitional justice. The initiative was launched by the Kawakibi Center for Transitional Democracy and the Arab Foundation for Democracy (an international NGO based in Qatar) – in coordination with the “No Peace without Justice” organization and the German Agency for Cooperation – in December 2011.
The first session of the program was held between January 27-29 at the Royal Hotel Azure in Hammamet. The conference was attended by ten representatives of the security forces, twelve judges, and five justice officials. The sessions sought to highlight the importance of national reconciliation in the establishment of a functional democracy.
Another three-day session will begin today, January 31, in Le Pere Blanc School in Tunis. The conference will provide an opportunity for individuals with varying expertise in the field of transitional justice to meet and develop best-practices for implementing a comprehensive process of reform.
Articles
Former Haitian leader must face charges for human rights abuses, says UN
UN News Centre, 31 Jan 2012
The United Nations today voiced its concern at reports that former Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier may not face charges relating to the serious human rights violations that took place during his 15-year rule, while stressing that justice must be ensured for the victims.
Serious human rights violations, including torture, rape, and extrajudicial killings have been extensively documented by Haitian and international human rights organizations to have occurred in the country during his reign, stated a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
AU may ask ICJ for opinion on Bashir’s immunity from ICC prosecution
Sudan Tribune, 31 Jan 2012
The leaders at the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa asked the chairperson of the pan-African body to consider moving the case of Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an opinion.
Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide allegedly committed in Sudan’s western region of Darfur since the conflict broke out between the central government in Khartoum and insurgents belonging mostly to African tribes.
The AU objected to the warrants and under pressure from late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi adopted several resolutions since 2009 calling on its members not to cooperate with the ICC in arresting the Sudanese leader even if they are signatories of the Rome Statute which is the founding text of the Hague tribunal.
This has enabled Bashir to travel to the African ICC member states of Chad, Kenya, Djibouti and Malawi without incidents as officials in these countries referred to AU decisions granting immunity to the Sudanese president in the continent.
But ICC judges issued a ruling last month asserting that the AU resolutions cannot be used as an excuse to flout member states obligations under the court’s treaty. They also dismissed arguments that Bashir’s status as a sitting head of state grants him immunity from criminal prosecution.
Ethiopia: African Dictators: Can’t Run, Can’t Hide!
By Alemayehu G Mariam, 31 Jan 2012
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is on the chase; and over the past few months, things have taken a slow turn for the worse for African dictators and human rights violators. They are finding out that they can’t run and they can’t hide.
Laurent “Cling-to-power-at-any-cost” Gbagbo of Cote d’Ivoire was snatched from his palatial hiding place in April 2011 after he defiantly refused to give up power to Alassane Ouattara in a presidential election certified by international observers in December 2010. In late November 2011, Gbagbo was quietly whisked away to the Hague from house arrest in Korhogo in the north of the country to face justice before the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity (murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, persecution and other inhuman acts) that were allegedly committed during the post-election period. The U.N. estimates well over three thousand people died between December 2010 and April 2011as a result of extrajudicial killings by supporters of Gbagbo and Ouattara. Gbagbo is the second former head of state to be tried by the ICC since it was set up in 2002.
Serbian nationalist Vojislav Seselj demands compensation from UN war crimes tribunal
By The Associated Press, 30 Jan 2012
A Serbian war crimes suspect has demanded €2 million ($2.6 million) in compensation from a United Nations tribunal, accusing it of repeated breaches of his rights.
Vojislav Seselj, who has been in custody at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia since 2003, said in a written filing released Monday he should be compensated for issues including the tribunal attempting to prevent him representing himself and “deliberate delays” in his case.
AU called on to back ICC
OM Journal , 27 Jan 2012
The International Criminal Court needs more support from governments in Africa and leaders in the African Union, human rights groups said. More than 30 human rights organizations and close to two dozen African governments said in a letter sent to the African Union ahead of a meeting next week in Ethiopia that AU leaders needed to express “concrete support for the ICC.”
Kenya: Police refute ICC claim Kibaki met Mungiki in 2007
By ZADOCK ANGIRA, 27 Jan 2012
The groups at State House Nairobi on November 26, 2007, were there to declare their support for President Kibaki’s re-election and to find out the plans he had for the youth, police said on Friday.Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere said 33 people representing eight groups were addressed by the President at a function attended by head of Public Service Francis Muthaura. However, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta was not at the function as alleged by the International Criminal Court.
Guatemala joins the ICC and puts former dictator under house arrest
by Mariana Rodriguez-Pareja & Salvador Herencia-Carrasco, 27 Jan 2012
(…) With this decision, Guatemala will join 15 other Latin American countries to be part of the ICC, pending similar efforts by Cuba, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
This vote was welcomed by the civil society, which has been working towards the signature and ratification of the Rome Statute for more than 10 years.
