  | You have information to share ?
Or mistakes to correct ?
click here...
|
|
| |  | | Samuel Hinga Norman | | | context : | Sierra Leone  | | judgement place : | Sierra Leone Special Court | | status : | Died before end of trial | | particulars : | His trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone began on 3 June 2004; died before end of trial on February 22, 2007 | | position : | Former Minister of Interior Affairs |
|
| | | | Samuel Norman was indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) on 7 March 2003.
Norman was arrested on 10 March 2003 before being transferred to the SCSL.
At his initial appearance before the court on 15 March 2003, he pleaded not guilty.
The bill of indictment held him responsible for:
- crimes against humanity for: murder and inhumane acts;
- violations of Art. 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II for: acts of terrorism and collective punishment against the civilian population, iolence to life, health and physical or mental well-being of persons, in particular by cruel treatment, and pillage;
- other serious violations of international humanitarian law through the enrolment in the armed forces of children less than 15 years old.
According to the indictment, Norman is considered to be criminally responsible for the above mentioned crimes, which he allegedly planned, instigated, ordered and for which in any other way lent his support or which were committed in the context of a joint criminal enterprise in which he participated or which were the foreseeable outcome of this enterprise.
In addition, or in parallel, the indictment holds him to be responsible as hierarchical superior for acts committed by his subordinates for which he had, or should have had advance knowledge, and because he did not take the necessary measures with a view to prevent or punish these acts.
On 27 January 2004 the SCSL ordered that the cases of Samuel Hinga Norman, Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa (see 'related cases') be joined.
A new consolidated indictment was signed by the Prosecutor on 4 February 2004.
The trial against Samuel Hinga Norman, Moinina Fofana and Allieu Kondewa opened on 3 June 2004. The prosecutor called 75 witnesses to support his presentation of evidence. He rested his case on 14 July 2005.
After the conclusion of the Prosecution’s case, in early August 2005, the Defence for Sam Hinga Norman, Moinina Fofana, and Allieu Kondewa, filed motions for Judgment of acquittal under Rule 98 of the Court’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence. The Rule provides that, if after the close of the case for the Prosecution “there is no evidence capable of supporting a conviction on one or more counts of the indictment,” the Trial Chamber shall enter a judgment of acquittal on those counts.
On 21 October 2005, Trial Chamber I unanimously dismissed the motions in respect of one or more counts in the indictment. This means simultaneously that it held that there was no evidence capable of supporting a conviction against the Accused in respect of a number of factual allegations in the indictment. These included allegations in respect of Counts 1 and 2 (murder), Counts 3 and 4 (inhumane acts and cruel treatment), and Count 5 (pillage) as charged in the consolidated indictment.
The Court's decision is not a judicial pronouncement on the guilt or the innocence of the Accused persons. It rather indicates that at this stage in the trial the Court has concluded that there was a case to answer.
A Status Conference to discuss the preparation and presentation of the Defence case took place on 27 October 2005. The Defence opened their case on 17 January 2006.
Hinga Norman was taken to Dakar (Senegal) on 17 January 2007 for medical procedures which were considered routine, but which were unavailable in Sierra Leone. He died there on 22 February 2007. | |     click for more... | | Trial Watch would like to remind its users that any person charged by national or international authorities is presumed innocent until proven guilty. | |  |  | | nationality : | | | Sierra leone | | | date of birth : | | | 01.01.1940 | | | last time seen : | | | Freetown (Sierra Leone) | | | period of charges : | | | 30.11.1996 | | | judgement period : | | | 07.03.2003 | | | charges : | | | Crimes against humanity
War crimes | | | profile last modified : | | | 01.11.2007 |
| |
| | |
|
|
