www.ictj.org
March 15, 2003
Algeria: Families of the
Disappeared Urge Pressure From France
Argentina: Supreme Court to
Decide on Amnesty Laws Soon
Bosnia: Panel Orders Bosnia’s
Serb Republic to Pay More Than $2 Million for Srebrenica Massacre
East Timor: Jakarta Court
Sentences Indonesian General to Five Years
Ghana: NRC Hears Torture
Testimony From Former Officer
Guatemala: Innovative Utz
K'aslemal Project Deals With Trauma
Kosovo: Rebel Officer Pleads
Not Guilty
Peru: Interpol Reissues
Arrest Warrant for Fujimori
Rwanda: Former Army Officer
Pleads Not Guilty
Serbia: Serbian Prime
Minister Assassinated
Sierra Leone: Special Court
Indicts Rebel and Government Leaders
International Criminal Court:
ICC Swears In Judges
ALGERIA
Families of the Disappeared Urge Pressure From France
March 2, 2003
An Algerian group is asking the French government to put pressure on the Algerian government to solve the problem of the disappeared. SOS Disparus (SOS Disappeared) represents families of the thousands of people in Algeria who disappeared during the 1990s at the hands of both the government security forces and armed Islamic groups.
See: BBC, 'Disappeared' plea to
France
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ARGENTINA
Supreme Court to Decide on Amnesty Laws Soon
March 13, 2003
In 2001, Federal Judge Gabriel Cavallo declared unconstitutional the Full Stop and Due Obedience laws, which had effectively given amnesty to perpetrators of human rights abuses during Argentina’s 1976-1983 “Dirty War.” On appeal, that decision has made its way to the Supreme Court and a ruling is expected soon.
See: The Globe and Mail (Toronto), The Dirty War's dirtiest soldier
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BOSNIA
Panel Orders Bosnia’s Serb Republic to Pay More Than $2 Million for Srebrenica Massacre
March 10, 2003
The Human Rights Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ordered the Bosnian Serb government to pay more than $2 million in compensation for the 1995 massacre of 7500 Muslims at Srebrenica. The money will be used to build a memorial at the graveyard where the victims’ families will bury their relatives’ remains. The panel also ordered the Bosnian Serb government to provide more information on the location of mass graves of massacre victims.
See: AFP, Bosnian Serbs ordered to pay compensation over massacre
New York Times, Bosnian Serbs Told to Pay $2 Million for Srebrenica Massacre
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EAST TIMOR
Jakarta Court Sentences Indonesian General to Five Years
March 13, 2003
A human rights court in Jakarta has sentenced Brig. Gen. Noer Muis to five years in jail for failing to prevent two attacks against civilians during East Timor’s violent 1999 vote for independence. The court is trying 18 Indonesian officials and members of the militia. Muis is the highest-ranking officer to be convicted for the violence. Twelve defendants have been acquitted, while two lower-ranking officers and two civilians have been found guilty. Two other trials are still in progress.
See: AP, General
Gets Jail for E. Timor Bloodshed
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GHANA
NRC Hears Torture Testimony From Former Officer
March 5, 2003
The National Reconciliation Commission continues to hear testimony from victims and witnesses. Earlier this month, former Lance Corporal George Kodjo Adjei testified that he was detained in 1985 and held without trial for five years. The former officer described the torture he endured at the hands of Naval Capt. Assassie-Gyimah.
See: Accra Mail, "Assassie-Gyimah Tortured Me"
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GUATEMALA
Innovative Utz K'aslemal Project Deals With Trauma
March 2, 2003
Six years after the peace accords ended the 36-year war in Guatemala, indigenous communities are attempting to heal the trauma from those decades of violence and conflict. The Utz K'aslemal (“Good Life”) mental health project conducts community meetings that combine contemporary psychology, confessional self-help, and traditional Mayan beliefs to assist victims and perpetrators seeking healing and forgiveness.
See: New York Times, Guatemalans Try to Mend Ties Snapped by War
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KOSOVO
Rebel Officer Pleads Not Guilty
March 6, 2003
Fatmir Limaj, the most senior of
Kosovo Liberation Army officers arrested last month, has pled not guilty at the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. He stands accused of
the murder of at least 16 people as well as torture and beatings of prisoners
in 1998. In related news, Agim Murtezi was released in a case of mistaken
identity. He has the same name as an individual indicted by the tribunal, but
goes by another nickname.
See: BBC, Court releases 'wrong'
suspect
AP, Ex-Kosovo
Rebel Officer Pleads Innocent
For more detailed weekly updates on the ICTY, please see Tribunal Update by The Institute for War and Peace Reporting and 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.
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PERU
Interpol Reissues Arrest Warrant for Fujimori
March 12, 2003
After receiving additional information it had requested from the Peruvian government, Interpol reissued an arrest warrant for former President Alberto Fujimori. The original warrant was suspended February 27, pending further information linking Fujimori to a paramilitary death squad and evidence that the charge was not politically motivated. The government of Japan, where Fujimori now resides, has stated that it has no plans to extradite the former Peruvian president. Peruvian lawmakers have also added charges of embezzlement and illegal enrichment to the charges listed in the Interpol warrant.
See: AP, Interpol
Reissues Warrant for Fujimori
BBC, Japan 'won't extradite Fujimori'
AP, Peru
OKs Charges Against Ex-President
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RWANDA
Former Army Officer Pleads Not Guilty
March 4, 2003
Former Rwandan Army Lieutenant Ildephonse Hategekimana has pled not guilty to five counts of genocide, incitement to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Hategekimana was the commander of the Ngoma camp in Butare Provice in southern Rwanda in 1994.
See: UN IRIN, Former Army Lieutenant Pleads Not Guilty to Genocide
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SERBIA
Serbian Prime Minister Assassinated
March 13, 2003
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic has been assassinated
by gunmen in Belgrade. Acting Serbian President Natasa Micic declared a state
of emergency while an investigation gets under way. Djindjic played a key role in the arrest of Slobodan Milosevic and
his handover to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
in The Hague.
See: BBC, Gang accused of Djindjic
killing
International Herald Tribune, A setback for Hague tribunal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SIERRA LEONE
Special Court Indicts Rebel and Government Leaders
March 12, 2003
The Special Court in Sierra Leone has indicted and detained Minister of Internal Affairs, Sam Hinga Norman, and two former leaders of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), Issa Sesay and Morris Kallon, as well as other members of the RUF. Rebel leader Foday Sankoh, already imprisoned on treason charges, was also transferred to the court. The chief prosecutor for the Special Court has also requested that other West African countries turn over former rebel commander, Sam Bockarie, and former military leader, John Paul Koroma.
See: BBC, Surprise at Sierra Leone
arrests
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
ICC Swears In Judges
March 12, 2003
The International Criminal Court has sworn in 18 judges: 11 men and 7 women. The court still needs to appoint a prosecutor. In related news, the United States and Rwanda have signed an agreement to exempt each other’s citizens from prosecution at the ICC.
See: The Guardian, International Criminal Court sworn in
BBC, War crimes judges sworn in
South African Broadcasting Corporation, US, Rwanda agree to criminal court exemption
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Editor: Patrick J. Pierce
Patrick J. Pierce serves as a consultant to the ICTJ.
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