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Momodou
Denmark
11702 Posts |
 Posted - 30 May 2016 : 13:44:36
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sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of crimes against humanity, rape and sexual slavery.
Chad's ex-ruler Hissene Habre has been convicted of crimes against humanity at a landmark trial in Senegal.
BBC Online:
 The judge convicted him of rape, sexual slavery and ordering killings. He is still reading out the verdict.
It is the first time an African Union-backed court has tried a former ruler for human rights abuses.
The prosecutor at the court in Senegal's capital Dakar has requested a life sentence for Habre, who refuses to recognise its legitimacy.
The ex-president denied accusations that he ordered the killing of 40,000 people during his rule from 1982 to 1990.
Mr Habre frequently disrupted proceedings during his trial. He shouted abuse, called the process "a farce", and had to be carried into the court after refusing to appear.
His critics dubbed him "Africa's Pinochet" because of the atrocities allegedly committed during his rule.
Habre was arrested in Senegal, where he was exiled, in 2013.
Many of his alleged victims campaigned for him to be tried, following his overthrow in 1990.
In 2005, a court in Belgium issued a warrant for his arrest, claiming universal jurisdiction but, after Senegal referred the issue to the African Union, the AU asked Senegal to try Mr Habre "on behalf of Africa".
In 2013, a court in Chad sentenced him to death in absentia for crimes against humanity..............
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11702 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2016 : 14:18:26
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Chad ex-ruler Hissene Habre sentenced for war crimes
Senegal court also convicts ex-leader, who ruled Chad from 1982 until 1990, for torture and crimes against humanity.
A special court in Senegal has sentenced former Chadian military ruler Hissene Habre to life in prison after convicting him of war crimes, crimes against humanity, rape and torture.
The verdict on Monday caps a 16-year battle by victims and rights campaigners to bring the former strongman to justice in Senegal, where he fled after being toppled in a 1990 coup in the central African nation.
Human rights groups accuse the 72-year-old of being responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people during his rule from 1982 to 1990.
Habre's case was heard by the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal's capital, Dakar, a special criminal court set up by the African Union within the West African nation's court system.
Reed Brody, a lawyer for Human Rights Watch who has spent the last 15 years working with victims to bring Habre to justice, said the landmark case could encourage others to bring similar action.
"The trial of Hissene Habre shows that it is possible for victims, with tenacity and perseverance, to bring their dictator to court," Reed told the AFP news agency on Sunday.
"We hope that other survivors, other activists will be inspired by what Habre's victims have been able to do."
Habre refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the court and had to be physically dragged into the courtroom in July.
The former head of state did not stand up or respond when called on by the judge.
After living in exile in Senegal for 22 years, Habre was detained in Dakar in July 2013, less than 72 hours after US President Barack Obama expressed his support for a trial during a visit to Senegal.
Source: Al Jazeera And Agencies |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11702 Posts |
Posted - 06 Jun 2016 : 11:36:28
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NO MORE SAFE HAVEN FOR LEADERS WHO COMMIT WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY Lessons drawn from Hissene Habre¡¦s Trial
Foroyaa Editorial: EditorċJune 4, 2016
The verdict in the trial of Chad¡¦s ex-president Hissene Habre has demonstrated that former African leaders who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity will find it extremely difficult to find a place in Africa where their colleagues can shelter them from justice.
Hissene Habre has been convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison at a landmark trial in Senegal, were he took refuge. The judge convicted him of rape, sexual slavery and ordering the killing of 40,000 people during his rule from 1982 to 1990.
The trial was an African Union project to try a former African head of state for human rights abuses. The precedent has been set and in fact efforts are underway to establish a permanent African court of justice to try suspects in Africa for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Current African leaders should bear in mind that if they insist in pursuing impunity and soak their hands with blood they are likely to end up like Hessen Habre with no shelter in Africa to protect them. Expanding the democratic space and leaving power gracefully is the only way to avoid an ignoble exit.
Source: Foroyaa |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Hissene Habre: Chad's ex-ruler convicted of crimes
