21.10.11 - WEEKLY SUMMARY - GADDAFI KILLED IN HIS HOMETOWN, END OF NZABONIMANA TRIAL

Arusha, October 21, 2011 (FH) - Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, against whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity was killed on Thursday by rebel forces. The same day, Prosecution at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) sought life sentence for former Rwandan Youth Minister, Callixte Nzabonimana.

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ICC     

Gaddafi's death: Nato backed rebel forces Thursday killed Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. On June 27, 2011, ICC had issued arrest warrants against Gaddafi, his son Saif Al-Islam and the head of military intelligence, Abdullah Al-Senoussi for crimes against humanity committed in Libya in February 2011.

Katanga completes his defence: Former Congolese militia leader Germain Katanga, who was testifying in his own defence before the ICC, Thursday concluded his evidence. Katanga is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes for his role in a massacre committed at Bogoro village, in Ituri, Eastern DRC on February 24, 2003. He is tried alongside another militia leader, Mathieu Ngudjolo.

ICTR

End of Nzabonimana trial : While the prosecution in the case of former Rwandan Youth Minister Callixte Nzabonimana sought life sentence against the accused, the defence requested an acquittal, stating that allegations against him were fabricated. The former minister is accused of five charges including conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, extermination and murder. The prosecution presents him as the main instigator of massacres of Tutsis in his native prefecture of Gitarama (central Rwanda) in 1994. The trial was officially declared closed. Date of the judgment will be announced later.

Ngirabatware defence case: Two more witnesses testified in defence of former Rwandan Planning Minister Augustin Ngirabatware. Since the opening of the defence case on November 18, 2010,  a total of 28 witnesses have been called to the bar. The defendant is charged with conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide or in the alternative complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide and extermination and rape as crimes against humanity. He allegedly incited Hutus to kill Tutsis in his native commune of Nyamyumba in Gisenyi prefecture (North Rwanda) in 1994.

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