15.09.11 - ICTR/UN - GAMBIAN JALLOW REAPPOINTED ICTR PROSECUTOR FOR THREE YEAR TERM

Arusha, September 15, 2011 (FH) - The United Nations Security Council Wednesday reappointed Hassan Bubacar Jallow as prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), mandated to try key perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, for a term of three year and three months.

1 min 29Approximate reading time

A statement issued by the UN News Centre on Thursday said that acting on Resolution 2006 (2011), which was adopted unanimously, the Council reappointed Jallow, a Gambian, for a new term with effect from September 15, 2011, running until December 31, 2014.

"The Council noted that it was countermanding the Tribunal's Statute by extending Jallow's term, which ends on 31 December 2011, for an additional three-year period.  It also noted that today's extension was subjected to an earlier termination by the Security Council upon the completion of the Tribunal's work," reads part of the Resolution.

The new term is subject to an earlier termination by the Council "upon the completion of the work" of the tribunals, according to the text. The Council has called on the tribunal to take all possible measures to expeditiously complete all its remaining work no later than 31 December 2014.

Six cases involving ten accused are still pending before different Trial Chambers, but at various stages with one involving four former Rwanda ministers set for delivery of judgment on September 30. Apart from that, one case is awaiting trial while another is on appeal proceedings following a decision for its transfer to Rwanda for trial.

On appeal, there are 10 pending case involving 19 accused. Two have been set for hearing on September 26 and 27, respectively, while two others are scheduled for delivery of judgment on September 28.

Jallow was first appointed to the post on September 4, 2003, to take over from the Swiss Carla Del Ponte, who has been serving as the prosecutor for International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and ICTR since September 1999.

He had served as Gambia's Attorney-General and Minister of Justice from 1984 to 1994 and later as a Judge of The Gambia's Supreme Court. In 1998, he was appointed by the UN Secretary-General to serve as an international legal expert and carry out a judicial evaluation of the ICTR and the ICTY.

He has also served as a legal expert for the former Organization of African Unity, now African Union (AU) and the Commonwealth, and worked towards drafting the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, which was adopted in 1980.

FK/NI/ER/GF

© Hirondelle News Agency