ICC
Ocampo seeks 30 year-jail term for Lubanga: Luis Moreno-Ocampo Wednesday requested for 30 years jail term to be imposed to Congolese former militia leader, Thomas Lubanga. The outgoing prosecutor asked the judges to take into account the scale and brutality of Lubanga's crimes, the vulnerability of his victims and the impact on them. Lubanga was found guilty of war crimes for conscripting and using child soldiers to fight in Ituri, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, from September 2002 to August 2003.
Ocampo’s successor takes oath: Gambian Fatou Bensouda Friday took oath as new prosecutor, succeeding Luis Moreno Ocampo from Australia, whose nine-year term of the office has come to the end. She was elected to the post by the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute on December 12, 2011, for a term of nine years.
Judges adjourns Gbagbo’s case hearing: On Wednesday, judges adjourned to August 13, the confirmation of charges hearings in the case of ex-Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo to preserve the rights of the defence in fair proceedings. The hearings were scheduled to start on June 18. The lawyers for Gbagbo had requested a delay to give them time of preparation for the hearings.
Kenyans differs on commencement date of their cases: The four Kenyans allegedly linked to crimes committed during violence after December 2007 presidential election failed to agree on appropriate date for commencement of theirs cases. While two politicians Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, who are set to vie for Kenya’s presidency early next year and journalist Joshua Sang wants the cases heard in March 2013, Francis Muthaura, a former head of civil service seeks the hearing to be held in September, 2012. Judges are due to decided on the matter at a latter stage.
ICTR
Joensen joins ICC over detainment of its staff: The Tribunal’s President Judge Vagn Joensen Thursday expressed his deep concern over the continued detention of staff members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Libya and joined the court’s President, Sang-Hyun Song, in urging their immediate release. The ICC staff members were arrested on June 7, 2012, while on mission to follow the case of the court’s indictee, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.
NEXT WEEK
ICTR
The Tribunal is set to deliver its judgment in the case of ex-Rwandan military officer, Captain Ildephonse Nizeyimana, who is charged with genocide and crimes against humanity (extermination, murder and rape) and war crimes (murder and rape), for his role in the 1994 genocide.
RWANDA
There will be closing ceremony of the Rwandan semi-traditional courts, Gacaca, on June 18. The Gacaca courts, which began hearing case in 2005, had competence to try all genocide suspects except top planners at national and prefectural level.
FK/GF