War Crimes Prosecution Watch is prepared by the International Justice Practice of the Public International Law & Policy Group and the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center of Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Vol. 7, Issue 1 — April 9, 2012

 

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

Central African Republic & Uganda

• Uganda Correspondent: Otunnu Pins Museveni to Serious War Crimes
• BembaTrial.org: Bemba Expects to Begin His Defense in August
• International Justice Tribune: The Only LRA Trial in Deadlock
• New Vision: Joseph Kony Will be Arrested This Year – ICC
• Bikya Masr: UN Warns of Increasing Attacks by Lord’s Resistance Army

Darfur, Sudan

• Sudan Tribune: South Sudan reiterates assurances not to arrest Bashir
• Radio Netherlands: Sudan’s Bashir Heads to Arab Summit Despite ICC Warrant
• Al Jazeera: Sudan Governor to Troops: ‘Take No Prisoners’
• The Star: ICC Judge Challenged Over His Links With AU

Democratic Republic of the Congo

• LubangaTrial.org: Is the ICC Putting the African Continent on Trial?
• LubangaTrial.org: Accountability for Crimes Against Children in Armed Conflict: The Lubanga Verdict and Beyond
• Voice of America: Congo Warlord’s Conviction an Historic Step

Kenya

• The Standard: ICC Warns False Witnesses Will be Jailed as EU Speaks
• CapitalFM News Kenya: Time for Uhuru, Co-accused to Face ICC Trial
• The International Criminal Court Kenya Monitor: ICC Names Judges to Handle Kenya Trials
• AllAfrica.com: Kenya: ICC Trials May Start March 2013
• AllAfrica.com: Kenya: Sang Vows Full Cooperation with the ICC
• The Star: ICC Judge May be too Busy for Ocampo Four
• The Standard: How Ruto, Uhuru Hope to Delay ICC

Libya

• Chicago Tribune: ICC Rejects Libya’s Request Over Gaddafi Son Surrender
• BBC News: Hague Court Demands Transfer of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

• Afrique en Ligne: Côte d’Ivoire Urged to Assist ICC in Post-Election Violence Probe
• United States Embassy Abidjan: Media Reports Say Hearing of the Former First Lady Was Aborted
• Radio Netherlands Worldwide: Ocampo – “Frustration Is When You Are a Victim in Darfur”
• Associated Press: ICC Prosecutor Says Ivorians “Cooperating”
• United States Embassy Abidjan: ICC Deputy Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda Met With President Ouattara

AFRICA

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

• Hirondelle News Agency: Mugesera Refuses to be Interrogated in Kinyaranda
• Hirondelle News Agency:Ngirabatware Trial Adjourned to Next Monday
• International Justice Tribune: “Mr. Z” demands $1 million compensation from ICTR
• All Africa: ICTR Concludes Ngirabatware Case

Special Court for Sierra Leone

• BBC News: Q&A: Charles Taylor on trial
• All Africa: Liberia: Mixed Reactions Over Taylor’s Trial Verdict

EUROPE

Court of Bosnia & Herzegovina, War Crimes Chamber

• The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Session of the Appellate Panel in the Saša Baričanin Case
• The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Verdict Delivered in Milan Perić et al.
• The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Status Conference in the Case v. Slobodan Grujić
• The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Status Conference in the Case v. Šaban Đelilbašić et al.
• The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Status Conference in the Case v. Željko Jukić
• The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Plea Hearing in the Case v. Predrag Prošić
• The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Predrag Prošić Enters a Not Guilty Plea
• The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Main Trial Commences in the Case v. Slobodan Grujić

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

• Institute for War & Peace Reporting: Karadzic Challenges Forensic Expert on Srebrenica
• Institute for War & Peace Reporting: Prosecution Appeals Sentence for Lukic Defence Member
• Institute for War & Peace Reporting: Former UK Envoy on Belgrade’s Ties to Bosnian Serbs
• Institute for War & Peace Reporting: Witness Details Srebrenica Mass Graves Study
• Institute for War & Peace Reporting: Mladic in More Cooperative Mood

Domestic Prosecutions In The Former Yugoslavia

• Emg.rs: Resolution of Klecka Case Important for Clearing up Faith of Missing Persons
• B92: Ex-KLA Limaj was Involved in Human Organ Trafficking

MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

• The Washington Post: Australia Contributes Another $1.7M to Cambodian Tribunal Holding Khmer Rouge Trials
• VOA Khmer: Tribunal Judge’s Resignation Proof of ‘Interference,’ Defense Says
• VOA Khmer: Duch Tells Tribunal He Met Frequently With Nuon Chea
• VOA Khmer: Duch Testifies on Monarchy’s Role in Rise of Khmer Rouge
• VOA Khmer: Nuon Chea Ordered Torture of Prisoners, Duch Tells Tribunal
• UN News Centre: Cambodia Must Provide Full Cooperation to New Judges at Genocide Court, Ban Stresses
• The Phnom Penh Post: Duch: Nuon Chea Ordered S-21 SlaughterSource
• The Phnom Penh Post: Duch: Two KR Leaders Were ‘Office’ Mates
• VOA Khmer: Khmer Rouge Tribunal at Risk Without Cambodian Support

Syria

• BBC NEWS: Syria Violence: UN’s Pillay Speaks Out on Assad Culpability
• Reuters: No Clear Way to Court for Syria War Crimes Suspects
• Laredo Sun: Syrian Violence Ignores Peace Diplomacy

Special Tribunal for Lebanon

• The Daily Star: UK Contributes $1.6 Million to STL
• The Daily Star: U.K. to Boost STL Funding, Envoy Tells Sleiman
• Naharnet: Baragwanath in Beirut for Talks with Lebanese Officials
• The Daily Star: STL Chief Tells Officials: Help Hand Over Hezbollah Suspects
• Naharnet: Report: STL Trials to Kick Off by End of 2012
• Naharnet: Baragwanath Meets Mirza, Thanks Lebanese Govt., Judiciary for Cooperating with STL
• Naharnet: Baragwanath Seeks to Fully Carry Out His Tasks, Urges More Lebanese Lawyers to Join STL

Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal

• The Daily Star: War Crimes Charges Against Alim Accepted
• Bangladesh News 24: Ghulam Azam Plea Hearing Thursday
• The Daily Star: Many Key Witnesses ‘Untraceable or Sick’
• Bangladesh News 24: ICT Order on ‘No Grilling’ Plea Thursday
• Bangladesh News 24: Ghulam Azam’s Indictment Order on Apr 17
• Bangladesh News 24: ICT to Accept 15 Statements as Evidence
• The Daily Star: Azad Escapes Arrest: War Crimes Tribunal-2 Issues Warrant
• The Daily Star: SQ Chy Indicted for War Crimes
• Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha: Changes made to rules of International Crimes Tribunal-2

NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA

North America

United States

• Toronto Star: Omar Khadr: U.S. Defense Secretary Signals Guantanamo Prisoner will Soon be Transferred to Canada
• Chicago Tribune: Is Robert Bales Competent to Stand Trial? Army Prepares to Ask
• Los Angeles Times: In Yemen, Lines Blur as US Steps Up Airstrikes
• The Washington Post: Khalid Sheik Mohammed to Face Death Penalty Trial

South America

Argentina

• MercoPress: Legal Actions Against Argentine Officers Who Tortured Conscripts During Malvinas War
• MercoPress: Former President to Stand Trial In Relation to Argentina’s Deadliest Terrorist Attack

Brazil

• MecroPress: Brazil’s 1964/85 Military Blackout on Human Rights Abuses Up for Review

Colombia

• Colombia Reports: Restrepo Will not Return to Colombia Before Guarantees of His Safety

TOPICS

Terrorism

• The Telegraph: Trial of 47 Suspected Islamic Extremists Starts in Kazakhstan
• Associated Press: Ex-Guantanamo Prisoner Says Host Country Albania Won’t Let Him Return to Egypt
• The Guardian: Former Cern Scientist Faces Terror Trial in France
• Reuters: Saudi Arabia Aims Cash Laundering Law at “Terror” Groups
• Associated Press: Qatar Rejects Request by Iraq for Return of Fugitive Iraqi Vice President
• BBC: David Cameron Defends Secret Courts and Web Monitoring Plans
• BBC: ‘9/11 Planners’ Set for Guantanamo Bay Trial

Piracy

• RTT News: Piracy on the Rise, But Successful Attacks Decline
• Somalia Report: Seychelles Hands Over Pirates

Universal Jurisdiction

• Business Day: Court to Hear Argument on SA Prosecuting Zimbabwean Officials
• Reuters: No Clear Way to Court for Syria War Crimes Suspects

Gender-Based Violence

• Lusakatimes.com: Prosecutors Need to Be Adequately Equipped as Zambian Society Has Become Increasingly Litigious
• Al Arabiya News: International Women’s Group Begins Mapping Sexual Violence in Syria
• Daily Nation: Team on Sexual Offenses Wants Post Election Gender Violence Investigated
• Inter Press Service: Nepal’s Rural Women Seek Justice

REPORTS

UN Reports

• BBC News: Syria Violence: UN’s Pillay Speaks Out on Assad Culpability
• Reuters: No Clear Way to Court for Syria War Crimes Suspects
• Agence France-Presse: ICC’s Israel War Crimes Probe Halted Pending UN Decision
• MSN India: Sri Lankan Parliament to Debate UN War Crimes Resolution

NGO Reports

• Amnesty International: Bosnia and Herzegovina: Old Crimes, Same Suffering: No Justice for Survivors of Wartime Rape in North-East Bosnia and Herzegovina

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSIONS

Kenya

• Daily Nation: Police Executed 800 Men, Truth Team Told
• Daily Nation: Truth About Human-Animal Conflicts Told

Nepal

• Himalayan News Service: Parties Come Under Fire from Rights Activists

Thailand

• Amnesty International: Thailand: Proposed Amnesty Should be in Line With International Obligations

Togo

• News24: Togo’s President Apologises Over Past

COMMENTARY AND PERSPECTIVES

• BBC News Africa: Is Africa on Trial: No
• BBC News Africa: Is Africa on Trial: Yes
• Opinio Juris: The Situation in Palestine

WORTH READING

• International Criminal Law Review : The First Judgment of the International Criminal Court (Prosecutor V. Lubanga): A Comprehensive Analysis of the Legal Issues
• Houston Journal of International Law: Genocide in Rwanda, State Responsibility to Prosecute or Extradite, and Nonimmunity for Heads of State and Other Public Officials

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War Crimes Prosecution Watch is a bi-weekly e-newsletter that compiles official documents and articles from major news sources detailing and analyzing salient issues pertaining to the investigation and prosecution of war crimes throughout the world. For more information about War Crimes Prosecution Watch, please contact warcrimeswatch@pilpg.org.