UPDATE ~ French court sentences Mauritanian to 10 years for crimes abroad News
UPDATE ~ French court sentences Mauritanian to 10 years for crimes abroad

[JURIST] A French court has sentenced Mauritanian Ely Ould Dah to 10 years in prison for torturing military officers abroad. Dah, a high ranking military officer in Mauritania, was sentenced in absentia Friday for torturing military officers in his home country [Amnesty International report]. The trial marks the first time a French court [JURIST report] has used the doctrine of "universal jurisdiction" [Wikipedia backgrounder] – allowing foreigners to be tried for acts committed anywhere. The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has compiled a dossier on the proceeding [PDF]. UPI has more.