ICC TC denies Gbagbo request to hold trial in Abidjan: On Monday, 26 October 2015 the ICC Trial Chamber denied a request by former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo’s lawyers to hold his trial in Abidjan or Arusha, rather than The Hague. Prosecutors pointed out that any possible benefit “would be outweighed by the security concerns, including the fact that the hearings could lead to violent demonstrations.” In its decision the TC said that it “has paid particular regard to the security risks and logistical implications of holding the opening statements in [Africa and t]he Chamber [] concludes that it cannot recommend that opening statements be held in either Abidjan or Arusha.” Gbagbo’s request was dismissed. (Yahoo, ICC TC decision)
Ruto defense’s no case to answer motion highlights failure of Prosecution witnesses to testify: In a no case to answer motion DP William Ruto’s defense said the charges should not have gone to trial because the witnesses that confirmed the charged did not take the stand. DP Ruto’s defense team stated that the ICC did not sufficiently investigate or provide evidence linking Ruto to the 2007-2008 post-election violence. Ruto’s lead lawyer Karim Khan stated that only three of the six witnesses whose statements were used to confirm the charged appeared before the trial judges. He explained that one witness did not testify in line with his original statement, the second and fourth witnesses was deemed “unreliable”. The fifth witness was not called and the final witness withdrew cooperation for unknown reasons. The details regarding the third witness were not reported. (allAfrica)
International pressure mounts for Bashir’s arrest at India-Africa Summit: Both the ICC and Amnesty International have called on India to arrest President Omar al-Bashir, President of Sudan during his trip to New Delhi on 28 October 2015 to attend the India-Africa Summit. ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s office said “As states ponder over such matters, it is fundamentally important not to forget the victims who deserve justice for the unimaginable atrocities they have suffered,” Aakar Patel, Executive Director of Amnesty International India said in a statement, “As a country which aspires to a more prominent global position, India must not turn a blind eye to these charges. The Indian government must show true leadership by helping bring Omar al-Bashir to trial,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wikas Swarup told local media that “India is fully compliant with its international legal obligations.” (Thompson Reuters Foundation, The Indian Express)
Former Romanian President, Ion Iliescu, formally charged with CAH: On Monday, 26 October Romanian prosecutors have formally charged former president, Ion Iliescu, with crimes against humanity for his role in the suppression of anti-government protests 25 years ago in which six people died and hundreds were wounded. Prosecutors say Iliescu and others including former Prime Minister Petre Roman and Romania’s former intelligence chief Virgil Magureanu organized “an attack on the civil population.” Iliescu denies any wrongdoing. (Yahoo! News)
Mladic defense witness testifies as to Bosniak civilians leaving Srebrenica: Tuesday 27 October 2015 defense witness Ljubodrag Gajic, a former member of Bosnian Serb police Special Forces testified in the case against Ratko Mladic. Gajic testified that “the people wanted to leave the territory. As far as I know, they left of their own accord.” He also testified that he did not witness the abuse of Bosniaks on 12 and 13 July 1995 but that the Serb civilians “violently” separated the able bodied men from their families.
On cross-examination the witness said that on the morning of 14 July 1995 he saw what he thought was a solider firing a machine gun at the Bosniak prisoners detained in the warehouse. When asked what happened to the prisoners detained in the warehouse Gajic testified “I know they were executed, killed…From the morning until 3 or 4 in the afternoon, gunfire could be heard from time to time. At the time we did not know what was going on, but later there were rumours they were killed there.” (Balkan Insight)
ECCC hears closed session testimony about Trapeang Thma Dam: On Monday, 26 October 2015 the ECCC resumed trial hearings with closed-chamber witness testimony on the current Case 002/02 against Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. The witness was scheduled to testify in a closed hearing regarding alleged abused in relation to the construction of the Trapeang Thma Dam in 1976 in what is today Banteay Meanchey province. According to Lars Olsen, ECCC legal communications officer the hearings were conducted in a closed chamber because the witnesses had also been interviewed in relation to Cases 003 and 004, and the records of those interviews are confidential. (The Phnom Penh Post)
African Commission fails to comply with AU Peace and Security Council directive to release report on S. Sudan crimes: The African Union Commission has refused to release a human rights report on South Sudan produced by a special panel of African investigators despite being directed to do so by the AU Peace and Security Council. The report consists of two parts, a majority opinion of the Commission members and a separate opinion expressed by a member of the panel who disagreed with the majority. Nkosazana Dlamina-Zuma, the chairperson of the AU Commission has not explained why she has not complied with the directive of the AU Peace and Security Council. (Radio Tamazuj)
Some victims in Ruto case advocate for case closure: A group of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are claiming that the lawyer representing the victim group at the ICC has ignored their opinions about the case against the Deputy President William Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang. The IDPs, of several countries reportedly said they already made it clear that they no longer believe they will get justice from the ongoing case. Janet Waithero, an IDP from Narok said “We are the legitimate victims of the 2007 violence and we have made it clear that we don’t need this case…[t]he victims lawyer keeps telling the court that justice will not be served if this case is terminated and that makes us wonder which victims does he represents,” The IDPs want the victims lawyer at the ICC to support efforts to bring an end to the case, reportedly stating that the country needs to focus on fostering cohesions among Kenyans and not focus on the case. (hivisasa)
The post 27 October 2015 – NEWS ABOUT THE COURTS – Ruto no case to answer motion, decision on Gbagbo venue request, Mladic and ECCC testimony and more appeared first on ICL Media Review.