The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

Following the “massive” violations of international humanitarian law (and human rights) in former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the United Nations Security Council established two International Criminal Tribunals, in May 1993 and November 1994, in order to bring to trial those persons responsible for such violations before an international jurisdiction. These two tribunals are the first international judicial bodies to be given the responsibility of trying war criminals since the Nuremberg and Tokyo Trials in 1945.

Following the Rwandan genocide, the international community decided, through the United Nations Security Council, to create a jurisdiction for the purpose of “prosecuting persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of International Humanitarian Law committed in the territory of Rwanda and Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other such violations committed in the territory of neighbouring States, between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994” The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was thus born.

The ICTR was created on 8^th November 1994 by Resolution 995 of the United Nations Security Council. By its Resolution 977 of 22 February 1995, the Security Council established the headquarters of the Tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania. The office of the Chief Prosecutor and the Trial Chambers are based in Arusha whereas the Appeals Chamber is located in The Hague (Netherlands). The first indictments were issued in November 1995 following the election of the first judges.

In accordance with its “Completion Strategies”, as defined in Resolutions 1504 and 1534 of the UN Security Council, the Tribunal had concluded all its investigations by the end of 2004 and must now complete all of the trials at first instance by the end of 2008 and all work in 2010. This must be done, even if any of the main suspects have still not been arrested.