The judges are Turkish Aydin Sefa Akay, 59, whom until his new appointment was Legal Counsellor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Turkey and Rajohnson Mparany Richard, 61, of Madagascar, who was Acting Prosecutor of the Court of Appeal of Antananarivo before his new post.
The ICTR Spokesperson Roland Amoussouga confirmed that the judges have already been assigned cases but declined to specifically mention them. The appointment took place in January and they are yet to arrive at the Tribunal's city in Arusha, Tanzania.
The two judges join their colleague Justice Joseph Masanche of Tanzania, 64, who had already started duty at the ICTR at similar capacity last week as part of efforts to bridge the gap of seven judges who left the Tribunal last December for various reasons including end of their contracts. One last ad litem judge is still being awaited.
Last December, the President of the ICTR, Justice Dennis Byron asked the UN General Assembly to appoint four ad litem judges to replace seven judges he reported would leave the Tribunal end of 2008 at the same time cautioned that the work load was increasingly big as it approached the end of its mandate.
Justice Richard, according to his curriculum vitae held several senior posts in the judicial system of Madagascar since 1978 after graduating with Bachelor degree in law one year before. They include being a Judge and Examining magistrate in the Court of First Instance of Mananjary and Antsirabe, Vice President and Examining Magistrate of Antsirabe, Director of Criminal Division in the Ministry of Justice and Permanent Secretary in the same ministry. He is married with three children.
On the other hand Justice Akay, is the holder PhD in law and held several positions in and outside Turkey ranging from Legal Counsellor, ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legal Counsellor Permanent Mission of Turkey to the UN, New York, Legal Counsellor Permanent Representative of Turkey to the Council of Europe (European Court of Human Rights), Legal Counsellor, Turkish Embassy, Nicosia and Legal Counsellor of Permanent Delegation of Turkey to UNESCO, Paris.
NI/GF
© Hirondelle News Agency
19.01.09 - ICTR/JUDGES - UN SECRETARY GENERAL APPOINTS TWO MORE AD LITEM JUDGES
Arusha, 19 January, 2009 (FH) - The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has appointed two more ad litem judges for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in a bid to support the Tribunal's completion strategy scheduled to end its mandate on December 31, 2009 as directed by the UN Security Council.
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