The International Center for Transitional Justice
www.ictj.org
February 15, 2004
HEADLINES
Argentina: Dirty War Museum
Planned
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Momcilo Krajisnik Trial Begins
Croatia: Gotovina Makes
Public Statement on Indictment
Ethiopia: Former Officials
Ask for Forgiveness
Ghana: Rawlings Appears
Before the NRC
Rwanda: Witness Says Former
Minister Ordered Rape
Serbia and Montenegro: Deadline
Set for Prosecution in Milosevic Case; Lustration Law Challenged
Timor-Leste: Wiranto to
Testify on Charges of Crimes Against Humanity
ARGENTINA
Dirty War Museum Planned
February 11, 2003
Human Rights Secretary Eduardo Luis Duhalde has told reporters that the former Navy School of Mechanics in Buenos Aires, which became notorious as a torture center during the 1976-1983 “Dirty War,” will be converted into a museum to commemorate the victims who suffered there.
See: BBC, Argentina plans Dirty War museum
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Momcilo Krajisnik Trial Begins
February 12, 2004
The trial of Bosnian Serb leader Momcilo Krajisnik at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) began earlier this month. Krajisnik, former speaker of the Bosnian Serb parliament, is charged with eight counts of genocide, complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in 1991 and 1992. He has pled not guilty to all charges. Krajisnik is believed to have been second or third in the Bosnian Serb political leadership, under Radovan Karadzic, who also has been indicted by the Tribunal but remains at large. ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte announced that she has received credible information that Karadzic is in hiding in Belgrade.
See: AP, Top Bosnian Serb Leader’s Trial Begins
The Guardian, Serb chief stands trial for genocide
BBC, UN says Karadzic is in Belgrade
For more detailed weekly updates on the ICTY, please see Tribunal Update by The Institute for War and Peace Reporting, the UN Public Information Services’ ICTY Weekly Update, and the Coalition for International Justice’s Latest Reports. See also the International Center for Transitional Justice/Bard College’s audio/video archive of the Milosevic trial.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CROATIA
Gotovina Makes Public Statement on Indictment
February 8, 2004
Former Croatian General Ante Gotovina has issued a public statement demanding that the ICTY treat him as a suspect, not a defendant. Gotovina has been in hiding since the Tribunal issued an indictment against him in 2001 for crimes against humanity. Croatian President Stipe Mesic has urged Gotovina to turn himself in.
See: B92, Gotovina makes demands
Xinhua, Croatian president urges general indicted in Hague to surrender
Please see “Bosnia” (above) for links to more information about the ICTY.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ETHIOPIA
Former Officials Ask for Forgiveness
February 2, 2004
In a letter to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, 33 former government officials on trial for genocide have asked the Ethiopian people for forgiveness for crimes committed under the regime of exiled dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, who was ousted in 1991. Since 1994, the Ethiopian judiciary has been conducting trials of people accused of genocide and crimes against humanity, particularly during the Red Terror period of the late 1970s. The trials are expected to conclude next year.
See: News 24, Ethiopians ask for mercy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GHANA
Rawlings Appears Before the NRC
February 13, 2004
Former President Jerry Rawlings has appeared before the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) to answer questions about the 1982 murders of three high court judges and of a retired military officer, as well as extrajudicial military killings in 1984. Rawlings acknowledged that extrajudicial killings may have occurred while he was leader, but claims that he did not witness any. The Commission had heard testimony that Lance Corporal Sarkodie Addo, who was accused of plotting a coup, was shot dead in Rawlings’ presence and that the incident had been videotaped.
See: Reuters, Ghana ex-ruler Rawlings appears before abuse panel
BBC, Rawlings appears at rights probe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RWANDA
Witness Says Former Minister Ordered Rape
February 5, 2004
In the Butare trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, a witness told the court that she was raped repeatedly on the orders of then-Minister of Family Affairs and Gender Issues, Pauline Nyiramasuhuko. She also stated that she had been infected with HIV during the rapes. Nyiramasuhuko is being jointly tried with five others, including her son.
See: News 24, Women’s protector ordered rape
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
Deadline Set for Prosecution in Milosevic Case
February 7, 2004
Judges at the ICTY have ordered prosecutors in the Slobodan Milosevic trial to wrap up their case by February 19, 2004. The case was delayed again earlier this month because of Milosevic’s poor health.
See: AP, Deadline Set for Case Against Milosevic
Please see “Bosnia” (above) for links to more information about the ICTY.
Lustration Law Challenged
February 10, 2004
The Serbian Radical Party, led by war crimes suspect Vojislav Seselj, has drafted a law to scrap the Law of Lustration. This law is aimed at removing from public office any officials linked to human rights violations prior to October 5, 2000, when the Milosevic regime fell. After recent elections, the Radical Party became the largest party in the Serbian parliament.
See: B92, Radicals target lustration law
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TIMOR-LESTE
Wiranto to Testify in Public Hearing on Crimes Against Humanity
February 8, 2004
Indonesian former military commander Wiranto has agreed to testify, via video link, in a public hearing to assess evidence against him for crimes against humanity. The Serious Crimes Unit has petitioned the Special Court in charge of cases related to the violence surrounding the 1999 vote for independence to hold a public hearing on the evidence.
See: Sydney Morning Herald, Wiranto to testify at war crimes hearing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Editor: Patrick J. Pierce
Patrick J. Pierce serves as a consultant to the ICTJ.
This semimonthly newsletter summarizes major news events in
the field of transitional justice. To unsubscribe, please e-mail unsubscribe@ictj.org. To subscribe,
please send an e-mail request to srutledge@ictj.org.
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries
pursuing accountability for mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center
works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as
in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain
unresolved. It provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis,
documentation, and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking
institutions, nongovernmental organizations, governments, and others. The ICTJ
assists in the development of strategies for transitional justice comprising
five key elements: prosecuting perpetrators, documenting violations through
nonjudicial means such as truth commissions, reforming abusive institutions,
providing reparations to victims, and advancing reconciliation. The Center is
committed to building local capacity and generally strengthening the emerging
field of transitional justice, and works closely with organizations and experts
around the world to do so.
International Center for Transitional Justice
20 Exchange Place
33rd Floor
New York, NY 10005
917.438.9300
www.ictj.org
info@ictj.org
Please note: All links to news stories were active on the day this
newsletter was sent.