ICTR
Prosecution wants Gatete convicted for conspiracy: Appeals Chamber Monday, May 7, heard the appeal in the case of Jean Baptiste Gatete. The prosecution requested the Chamber to also convict him for conspiracy charge. On March 29, 2011, Gatete was found responsible for the killing of Tutsis, at three different massacre sites in the Eastern part of Rwanda between April 7 and 12, 1994. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Ntabakuze's life sentence reduced to 35 years jail term: The Appeals Chamber on Tuesday cut the sentence of former Rwandan military officer Aloys Ntabakuze from life to 35 years in jail. On December 18, 2008, ICTR found Ntabakuze guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in April 1994 by elements of his unit and militiamen in three areas of the capital Kigali, because of his superior responsibility over them.
The same Chamber upheld judgments of two other convicts. They confirmed Ildephonse Hategekimana's life sentence for genocide and crimes against humanity. The Chamber also confirmed former Rwandanbusinessman Gaspard Kanyarukiga's sentence. He was found guilty by the lower court for genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity for his involvement in the demolition of Nyange church, western Rwanda, on April 16, 1994. About 2,000 Tutsis, who had taken refuge in the church, were killed.
RWANDA
Mugesera back to court May 24: An academician who was extradited to Rwanda from Canada in January this year, Leon Mugesera will go back to court on May 24. Mugesera is accused of inciting genocide in a 1992 speech delivered in Kinyarwanda, during a meeting of his political party. On April 17, a High Court in Kigali rejected his request to be tried in French.
NEXT WEEK
ICC
On May 15, the International Criminal Court (ICC) will hear closing arguments in the case of two Congolese rebel leaders, Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo.They are accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes, notably for their alleged role in the attack of Bogoro, Ituri, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on February 24, 2003 where over 200 people were killed.
SCSL
The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) will conduct a hearing on May 16 on the sentence to be imposed to former Liberian President, Charles Taylor who was found guilty of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He was convicted for supporting rebels during the Sierra Leone civil war between 1991 and 2002. The prosecution has requested 80 years in jail.
NI/GF