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Gbagbo ICC file: fit for a president?

Ivory Coast is the latest playground of the International Criminal Court. This week the courtroom in The Hague became its theatre of justice. Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo proudly presents his biggest catch so far: Laurent Gbagbo. The prosecutor is defiant: “leaders must understand that violence is no longer an option in retaining or gaining power.” But as yet, there is no sign of a ‘presidential’ case. Read more...>

 Asylum, politics and international justice – a muddy cocktail

Four Congolese witnesses testifying at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, find themselves caught in a legal wrangle, which could at once set a legal precedent and make them the last of a kind to win asylum. Read more...>

 Brazil: champion of late truth in Latin America

Brazil is booming. The economy is expanding and the country is getting ready to host the Football World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. But the Latin American giant has not even begun dealing with its dark past, ruled by a dictatorial military regime from 1964 until 1985. 27 years later, on November 18th, President Dilma Rousseff signed a law establishing a truth commission. Read more...>

 Haradinaj: much a retrial for nothing?

The primary purpose of the retrial of Ramush Haradinaj, as proclaimed by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in its appeal judgement in July, should have been to hear testimonies of two “key” witnesses who proved unwilling to testify in the original trial in 2007. Read more...>

 Gbagbo: I was deceived

At the ICC’s first ever hearing of a former head of state, Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo today complained to the Hague court that the conditions of his arrest were wrong. Read more...>

 ICTY: Mladic indictment to be slashed

The number of specific counts in the indictment against Bosnian Serb ex-army chief Ratko Mladic will be slashed to 106 from 196, the ICTY announced on Friday. Read more...>

 Laurent Gbagbo: the fall of an idealist

Now before the International Criminal Court, the former president of Côte d’Ivoire started his political life as a political activist. The man who defied his country’s first autocratic ruler ended up defeated – by what he fought for. Read more...>

 Ivory Coast ready to “turn the page” says Dutch UN envoy

Bert Koenders is facing a difficult task in his new role as UN envoy to Ivory Coast. Last year’s elections triggered a wave of violence which has left the country divided. But the former Dutch politician believes Ivorians are “sick of political games” and ready to move on. Read more...>

 ICC prosecutor presents new Darfur case

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested judges to issue an arrest warrant against the current Sudanese Defense Minister for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur. Read more...>

 ICC recommends Fatou Bensouda

International Criminal Court members formally recommend Gambian Fatou Bensouda as chief prosecutor, after a consensus emerged that an African should hold the post. Read more...>

 Gbagbo’s arrest: “An illegal operation”?

Seven months of physical and psychological pressure under illegal detention was the prelude to the transfer last night of Laurent Gbagbo to The Hague, according to his principal defence lawyer. He is the first ever former head of state behind bars at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Lawyer Emmanuel Altit told IJT that he intends to submit to the court in the coming days that the nature of Gbagbo’s arrest and transfer “should lead to the dismissal of the case”. Read more...>

 The end of Gbagbo...?

Ivorians stop amongst the traffic on the corner of a busy main road in Abidjan to read the newspapers laid out on the ground. The headlines scream: "le fin Gbagbo”, ‘Gbagbo the end’. One of the papers features a portrait of former president Gbagbo with bars drawn over his face. The title of a pro-Gbagbo tabloid reads ‘Adieu Reconciliation.’ Read more...>

 Bangladesh tribunal starts

In widely-criticised procedures, the government will finally bring traitors from Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence to justice, said official on Sunday. Read more...>

 Hartmann - degrading punishment?

Seven days in prison as punishment for contempt of court. That's the order from the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia against Florence Hartmann, former press attaché to the ICTY Prosecutor. Read more...>

 Dutch Srebrenica soldier testifies against Karadzic

For the first time, a Dutch soldier has been called to testify at the trial of Radovan Karadzic, former president of the Republika Srpska. Back in 1995, Johannes Rutten was a second lieutenant of the Dutch peacekeeping force known as ‘Dutchbat’. Read more...>

 UN torture panel tells Senegal to prosecute or extradite Habré

The United Nations Committee against Torture has called on Senegal to comply with its obligation to prosecute or extradite Chad's exiled former dictator, Hissène Habré, Human Rights Watch says. Read more...>

 Complaint against Mexican president and mafia bosses at the ICC

Mexican president Felipe Calderon and the most important mafia bosses of the country have been accused of human rights violations at the ICC in The Hague. Read more...>

 ACHPR: project ARC to the rescue

Individuals who have suffered violations of their rights under the African Charter can now instruct project ARC (Advice, Representation and Cases) to take cases on their behalf – as well as those of State Parties, African intergovernmental organisations and NGOs with observer status before the African Commission. Read more...>

 Khmer Rouge: solid case or fairytale?

Cambodia’s war crimes court heard the opening statements in the long-awaited trial of three surviving Khmer Rouge leaders this week, with the prosecution outlining what it says is a solid case against the accused and the defendants dismissing the allegations as “untrue” and “a fairytale”. Read more...>