Stephen Rapp, an American lawyer and diplomat, has been a leading figure in international criminal law and human rights. He was appointed as the US Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues in 2009, overseeing investigations and prosecutions of war criminals worldwide. Rapp’s commitment to justice and ending impunity was evident during his tenure, supporting [...]
Search Results for: rwanda genocide
The Unfulfilled Duty: 75 Years of the Universal Declaration and Genocide Convention
This weekend marks the 75th anniversary of one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). On December 9 we see the anniversary of the Genocide Convention, signed on the December 9, 1948, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights signed 75 years ago. It represents an an important occasion that aims to raise [...]
Security Council Paralysis in Face of Gaza Crisis Highlights Imperative of UN Reform
On November 15, 2023, more than five weeks after Hamas‘ heinous October 7 attack on Israel, and after thousands of lives were lost, the Security Council, the United Nations body with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, finally managed to pass a somewhat controversial resolution in response to the crisis. [...]
Opinion: Claims of Genocide Push Nagorno-Karabakh Further From Peace
Earlier this month, a former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno Ocampo, released a legal opinion claiming that genocide is under way against ethnic Armenians in the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Such serious allegations should not be made lightly and require careful scrutiny. In light of this opinion, the Government of Azerbaijan [...]
UN special adviser welcomes France verdict on Rwanda genocide perpetrator
UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Nderitu welcomed on Monday the life imprisonment sentence that the Paris Assize Court issued Philippe Hategekimana on June 28. Hategekimana was sentenced to life imprisonment for the genocide crimes that he committed during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The trial of Hategekimana [...]
UN tribunal declares Rwanda genocide suspect unfit to stand trial
The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), a United Nations (UN) tribunal, declared Wednesday that Félicien Kabuga, one of the last fugitives of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, is unfit to stand trial due to dementia. IRMCT considered the opinion of medical experts, who said that the “consequences of dementia deprive Mr. Kabuga of the [...]
UN tribunal arrests man wanted for Rwanda genocide since 1994
A special tribunal established by the UN, known as the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), announced Thursday that fugitive Fulgence Kayishema has been arrested in Paarl, South Africa after 22 years on the run. Kayishema, a police officer accused of orchestrating the killing of more than 2,000 Tutsi refugees at Nyange Catholic Church in [...]
UN secretary general: 'Hate speech is an alarm bell' on anniversary of Rwanda genocide
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres Friday called for increased digital accountability to combat hate speech on the internet. Guterres made a statement in remembrance of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. He noted that there are currently few or no controls in place to stop the spread of [...]
Failure To Protect by Mass Destruction—An 'Other Inhumane Act'
A widespread or systematic attack directed against civilians is a crime against humanity—a crime against us all. The jurisprudence around the creation of this international crime began early in the 20th century and evolved through the International Military Tribunals at Nuremberg and Tokyo, and into the modern era during what is called the Age of [...]
Amnesty International: rebel group M23 responsible for summary killings, rapes in DRC
Amnesty International Friday reported that members of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group killed at least 20 men and raped “scores of women” in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The report states the M23 rebel group, which the DRC and UN allege is backed by Rwanda, is responsible for “indiscriminate attacks [...]