Habre requests unconditional release after filing appeal: On 13 June 2016, lawyers for convicted Hissene Habre requested that Senegalese President Macky Sall call for Habre’s unconditional release within 48 hours, claiming that his trial had been unfair. Ibrahim Diawara, lawyer for the former Chadian dictator, said that the jury empanelled to hear the case before the Extraordinary African Chambers had not been appointed in accordance with the law. The request comes just two days after his lawyers appealed his conviction for crimes against humanity by the Senegalese-based court. In the first trial of a former head of state in sub-Saharan Africa, Habre was found guilty in May of crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture and sexual slavery by the special criminal court. (Pulse)
Duch testifies that Nuon Chea ordered prison purges; Khieu Samphan had knowledge of killings: Former leader of the notorious Khmer Rouge S-21 prison and ECCC convicted Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, continued his testimony in Case 002/02 against Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan. Under questioning from assistant prosecutor Dale Lysak, Duch testified that he was ordered by former second in command Chea to execute hundreds of prisoners without interrogation that had been arrested en masse. In his testimony, he stated that Chea ‘poked his fingers deep into the business of S-21’, had become increasingly ‘hands-on’, and ultimately held absolute authority over the prison. This is despite Chea’s claims of having no involvement in the running of the prison. Duch also dismissed former head of state Samphan’s claims to investigating judges that he had no knowledge of the mass arrests during the Khmer Rouge regime until after 1979. He testified that Samphan worked closely with him and gave specific orders relating to the mass purges of prisoners. (Phnom Penh Post, Khmer Times, Cambodia Daily)
Chea defence submits request for summons of 35 witnesses: On 13 June 2016, the defence team for Nuon Chea requested 35 witnesses, including high-profile senior government and military officials, to appear before the ECCC. Victor Koppe, Chea’s international lawyer, has referred to the request as the defence’s ‘final chance’ to present its case. In submissions to the court, the defence stated that the failure of the court to summon the witnesses will impact on Chea’s right to a fair trial. There are concerns, however, that the request will politicise the trial. Government spokesperson, Phay Siphan, has highlighted that parliamentarians are not required to appear before the court due to immunity. In addition, he denounced the defence’s request as ‘scapegoat[ing]’ the Vietnamese. (Phnom Penh Post)
Post by: Firouzeh Mitchell
The post 16 June 2016 – NEWS ABOUT THE COURTS – Habre seeks unconditional release, Duch testimony on Chea and Samphan, and Chea defence request on witness summons appeared first on ICL Media Review.