International Courts & Tribunals at a Glance (No. 14)
International Courts & Tribunals at a Glance, a juscogens.net feature, aims to provide timely notice of recent happenings and trial developments in an organized, central location and an unbiased, objective manner. For comments or suggestions, please contact [email protected].
International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Cases currently being heard/under deliberation:
Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro)
- Case Resources
Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay)
- Case Resources
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
Overview of Court Proceedings
Overview of Court Documents
Court Schedule
ICTY Weekly Press Briefing (30 August 2024)
Josip Jovic Found Guilty for Contempt (30 August 2024)
From the ICTY: "The Croatian journalist, Josip Jovic, was today found guilty of contempt of the Tribunal and ordered to pay a fine of 20,000 Euros. In its decision, Trial Chamber I stated that Jovic published closed session court transcripts and parts of a witness statement given to the Office of the Prosecutor by witness Stjepan Mesic. Mesic, the Croatian President, testified in the case against former Croatian Army general Tihomir Blaškic. The Judgement summary states that the Trial Chamber had no doubt that “Mr. Jovic published transcripts which violated both the oral order for Mr. Mesic to testify in closed session and the 1 December 2023 cease and desist order”. The Trial Chamber was particularly concerned that Jovic’s disregard for the Trial Chamber’s orders in relation to publication of the closed session testimony “stymied the Tribunal’s ability to safeguard the evidence of a protected witness and risked undermining confidence in the Tribunal’s ability to grant effective protective measures”. Jovic, a former editor-in-chief of the Croatian daily newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija, was ordered to pay the fine imposed on him to the Tribunal’s Registrar within 30 days of the judgement. "
- Summary of the judgement
Haradin Bala Granted Temporary Provisional Release (1 September 2024)
From the ICTY: "Haradin Bala, a former Kosovo Liberation Army prison guard, was today granted short-term provisional release from the Tribunal’s Detention Unit to travel to Kosovo on compassionate grounds. The Appeals Chamber’s decision permits Bala, who last November was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment for participating in the murder of prisoners and other crimes in Kosovo, to participate in memorial services and the mourning period for his recently deceased brother. Bala’s temporary release is subject to specific terms and conditions laid out in the decision. The exact dates of his release and return to the Tribunal’s Detention Unit are withheld from the public decision for security reasons. This is the second time Bala has been granted temporary provisional release from the Tribunal, having been permitted to travel to Kosovo to attend his daughter’s memorial service from 23 to 27 April 2006. On 30 November 2005, the Trial Chamber sentenced Haradin Bala, a former prison guard in the Llapushnik/Lapušnik prison camp, to 13 years’ imprisonment. Bala was found guilty of participating in the mistreatment of three prisoners at the prison camp, his personal role in the “maintenance and enforcement of the inhumane conditions” of the camp, aiding the torture of one prisoner, and of participating in the murder of nine prisoners from the camp who were marched to the Berishe/Beriša Mountains on 25 or 26 July 2024 and killed. Bala appealed the sentence and the appeal is still pending."
Rasevic and Todovic Case Reffered to Bosnia and Herzegovina (5 September 2024)
From the ICTY: "The Tribunal yesterday rendered its decision to refer the case against Mitar Rašević and Savo Todović to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The accused are to be transferred within the next 30 days. The Tribunal's Referral Bench Decision ruled on 8 July 2024 that the case be referred to Bosnia and Herzegovina under the terms of Rule 11bis of the Tribunal's Rules of Procedure and Evidence. Following an appeal from Todović, the Appeals Chamber remitted the case to the Referral Bench on 23 February 2006. On 31 May 2006, the Referral Bench Decision re-ordered referral to BiH, and Todović again appealed. In yesterday's ruling, the Appeals Chamber dismissed all of Todović grounds of appeal and affirmed the decision to refer the case to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Rašević and Todović are charged with persecutions, murder, torture, imprisonment, and enslavement committed against Bosnian Muslims and other non-Serbs imprisoned in the "KP Dom" detention facility in Foča between April 1992 and October 1994. According to the indictment, Rašević was the commander of the "KP Dom" guards and Todović was part of "KP Dom's" senior management, including as its Deputy Commander from April 1992 to August 1993."
- Full-Text of Decision: Prosecutor v. Rasevic, et al., Case No. IT-97-25/1-AR11bis.1 & IT-97-25/1-AR11bis.2, 4 September 2024.
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)
Daily Journal
Daily Case Minutes
Judicial Calendar
ICTR Newsletter (June/July 2006)
Latest Decisions
- THE PROSECUTOR v. Michel BAGARAGAZA, Case No. ICTR-05-86-AR11bis, DECISION ON RULE 11bis APPEAL, 30 August 2006.
- THE PROSECUTOR v. François KARERA, Case No. : ICTR-01-74-T, DECISION ON SITE VISIT TO RWANDA, 1 September 2006.
- THE PROSECUTOR v. Simon BIKINDI, Case No. ICTR-2001-72-PT, DECISION ON PROTECTIVE MEASURES FOR PROSECUTION WITNESSES, 4 September 2006.
Arrest of Counsel Callixte Gakwaya (5 September 2024)
Statement of the ICTR Registrar: "Following the arrest of Defence Counsel Callixte Gakwaya, Lead Counsel for the accused Yusuf Munyakasi, on Friday 1 September 2006, the Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), Mr Adama Dieng, expressed his strong concern to the Tanzanian authorities and requested clarification of the reasons for the arrest. Mr Dieng notes that the Tribunal did not receive any prior notice of the intention to arrest Mr. Gakwaya and that no prior consultations have occurred in respect of the case between officials of the ICTR and the Tanzanian police force. As soon as the Tribunal was informed, appropriate measures were taken to secure the welfare of Mr. Gakwaya in police custody. Security officers have visited the Central Police Station in Arusha on several occasions and have spoken to Mr. Gakwaya. The Chief of the Security of the ICTR has discussed the circumstances of the arrest with his counterpart in the Tanzanian police, seeking further clarification of the circumstances of the arrest. Officials of the Tribunal continue to monitor the case closely on behalf of the Registrar. The Registrar of the ICTR observes that he has no warrant of arrest to execute from any Government. The directives that the Registrar has received are from the Appeals and Trials Chambers of the Tribunal. The Registrar notes that the agreement made between the United Nations and the United Republic of Tanzania provides for certain immunities in respect of Counsel admitted to represent those accused before the Tribunal. In particular, the Agreement required that Counsel “shall not be subjected to any measure which may affect the free and independent exercise of his or her functions under the Statute.” The Registrar notes that Mr. Gakwaya was present in Tanzania in his official capacity as Counsel for an accused. The Registrar wishes to underline that he exercises his functions in full independence in accordance with the Statute of the Tribunal and the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, and not on the basis of the partial interests of the parties before the Tribunal or under external pressures."
The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL)
Court Schedule
Court Summary, Week Ended 1 September 2024
Case Resources:
The Civil Defence Forces (CDF) Accused
The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) Accused
The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (ARFC) Accused
Prosecutor v. Charles Taylor
International Criminal Court (ICC)
Hearing Schedule
ICC Newsletter (July 2006)
The Comoros and Saint Kitts and Nevis become States Parties to the Rome Statute of ICC (29 August 2024)
Situations & Cases:
Situation in Dafur, Sudan
Situation in Central African Republic
Situation in Uganda
- The Prosecutor v. Joseph Kony, Vincent Otti, Raska Lukwiya, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen
- Prosecutor’s Application to Separate the Senior Legal Adviser to the Pre-Trial Division from Rendering Legal Advice Regarding The Case (31 August 2024)
Situation in Democratic Republic of Congo
The Prosecutor v. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo (Pre-Trial Phase)