Security Council reappoints prosecutors at UN war crimes tribunals

The Security Council today reappointed the prosecutors working at the United Nations tribunals tasked with bringing to justice the perpetrators of the worst crimes committed during the Balkans conflicts of the 1990s and the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Acting on two separate resolutions, the Council reappointed prosecutors Serge Brammertz of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Hassan Bubacar Jallow of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for new terms, with effect from today and running until 31 December 2014.

The new terms are subject to an earlier termination by the Council “upon the completion of the work” of the tribunals, according to the texts, both of which were adopted unanimously.

The Council has called on both tribunals to take all possible measures to expeditiously complete all their remaining work no later than 31 December 2014.

Since its establishment, the ICTY has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001. Proceedings have been concluded against 126 accused and are currently ongoing for 35 others at the tribunal, which is based in The Hague.

As of 30 June, the ICTR, which is based in the Tanzanian city of Arusha, delivered six trial judgements, while six other trial judgements involving 10 accused remain to be delivered.

An estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in Rwanda in less than 100 days between April and June 1994, often with weapons such as machetes.