University of Minnesota




Prosecutor v. Akayesu, Case No. ICTR-96-4, Appeal (June 1, 2001).


 


 

ENGLISH
Original : ENGLISH/ FRENCH

Before Judges:             
Claude Jorda, presiding
Lal Chand Vohrah
Mohamed Shahabuddeen
Rafael Nieto-Navia
Fausto Pocar

Registry:  Adama Dieng

Judgement of: 1 June  2001

THE PROSECUTOR
v.
JEAN-PAUL AKAYESU


JUDGEMENT
 

Office of the Prosecutor:
Carla Del Ponte
Solomon Loh
Wen-qu Zhu
Mathias Marcussen
Sonja Boelaert-Suominen
Morris Anyah

Counsel for the Defence:
John Philpot
André Tremblay

Translation certified by LCSS, ICTR

HAG(A)01-001  (E) Corr.  1 (cover page only)



I. INTRODUCTION
  A.  Trial Proceedings
  B. Proceedings on Appeal
II. GENERAL ISSUES RAISED ON APPEAL
  A. Admissibility of the Prosecution’s Appeal
    1.  Arguments of the Parties
    2. Discussion
  B. Preliminary issues relating to Akayesu’s Appeal
    1. Akayesu’s strategy
    2. Form of the Prosecution’s Response
III. AKAYESU’S GROUNDS OF APPEAL
  A.  First Ground of Appeal:  Akayesu was denied the right to be defended by Counsel of his choice
    1.  Factual and procedural background
    2. Arguments of the parties
      (a) The right to counsel of one’s own choosing
      (b) The right to defence in person
    3. Discussion
      (a)  The right to counsel of one’s own choosing
      (b) The right to conduct one’s own defence
  B. Second Ground of Appeal: Akayesu was denied the right to a competent Counsel
    1. Arguments of the parties
      (a)  Standards of review
      (b) Evidence of incompetence of Counsel
    2. Discussion
  C. Third Ground of Appeal: Biased and Partisan Tribunal
    (a) The Trial Chamber was neither impartial nor independent
      (i) Akayesu’s submissions
      (ii)  Discussion
    (b)   Selective Prosecution
      (i) Akayesu’s submissions
      (ii)  Discussion
    (c) Functioning of the Tribunal and approach to the conflict in Rwanda
      (i)  Akayesu’s arguments
      (ii) Discussion
  D.  Fourth Ground of Appeal:  Total Absence of the Rule of Law: Erreurs fatales au jugement de culpabilité
    1. Sub-Ground One: Improper amendment of the original indictment
      (a) Arguments of the parties
      (b) Discussion
        (i)   Absence of inter partes hearing prior to the Trial Chamber’s Decision
        (ii)  The merits of the leave granted by the Trial Chamber to amend the original indictment and the possible prejudice suffered by Akayesu
    2.  Sub-Ground Two:  Improper treatment of prior witness statements
      (a) The Trial Chamber’s policy of favouring evidence given at trial
        (i) Arguments of the parties
        (ii)  Discussion
      (b) Disclosure of evidence and extrinsic evidence
        (i)   Akayesu’s arguments
        (ii)  Discussion
      (c) Conclusion
    3.  Sub-Ground Three:  Non-application of the reasonable doubt standard and substantive factual errors
      (a) Scope of review on appeal
      (b) Issues raised by Akayesu
        (i)  Paragraphs 12A and 12B of the Indictment: Charges of sexual violence
          a.  Paragraph 460 of the Judgment
            (i)   Arguments of the parties
            (ii) Discussion
          b. Testimony of the Accused
            (i) Arguments of the parties
            (ii) Discussion
          c.  Impartiality of the Trial Chamber Judges
            (i)  Arguments of the parties regarding Judge Pillay’s comments
            (ii) Discussion on Judge Pillay’s comments
            (iii) Arguments of the parties concerning Judge Kama’s Comments
            (iv)  Discussion of Judge Kama’s comments
          d. The words used for rape in Kinyarwanda
            (i) Arguments of the parties
            (ii)  Discussion
        (ii) Paragraph 14 of the Indictment: the Meeting at Gishyeshye and the call for the killing of Tutsis in Taba
          a. Paragraph 349 of the Judgment
            (i)  Arguments of the parties
            (ii)  Discussion
          b.  Paragraphs 361 and 362 of the Judgment
            (iii) Arguments of the parties
            (iv) Discussion
        (iii) 

Paragraph 18 of the Indictment: the killing of Ephrem Karangwa’s brothers and the destruction of his house

          (a)  Arguments of the parties
          (b)  Discussion
    4. Sub-Ground Four: Out-of court Evidence
      (a) Arguments of the parties
      (b) Discussion
    5. Other issues
  E. Fifth Ground of Appeal: Total absence of the Rule of Law
  F.  Sixth Ground of Appeal: Improper hearsay evidence
    1. Arguments of the parties
    2. Discussion
  G. Seventh Ground of Appeal : Irregularities in the Examination and Cross-Examination
    1. Limits on Cross-Examination
      (a)  Arguments of the Parties
      (b)  Discussion
    2. Prohibition from asking Leading Questions
      (a) Arguments of the parties
      (b) Discussion
  H. Eighth Ground of Appeal: Unlawful disclosure of Defence Witness Statements
  I.  Ninth Ground of Appeal: The letter written by Witness DAAX to the judges
    1. Issues raised
      (a) The Letter dated 3 March 1998 sent to the judges of Trial Chamber I
      (b)  Testimony of Witness DAAX
    2.  Conclusion
  J. Tenth Ground of Appeal: Unlawful Detention
    1. Background
    2. Discussion
      (a) Violation of the right to be promptly charged
      (b) Violation of the right to be informed of the nature of the charges against him
    3. Conclusion
  K. Eleventh Ground of Appeal: Appeal Against Sentencing Judgment
    1. Akayesu’s preliminary prayer
      (a)  Arguments of the parties
      (b) Discussion
    2. First sub-ground of appeal against sentence
      (a) Arguments of the parties
      (b) Discussion
    3. Second sub-ground of appeal against sentence
    4. Third sub-ground of appeal against sentence
      (a) Arguments of the parties
      (b) Discussion
  L. Finding on Akayesu’s Appeal
IV. PROSECUTION’S GROUNDS OF APPEAL
  A.  First and Second Grounds of Appeal:  Article 4 of the Statute (violations of Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II)
    1. Arguments of the parties
    2. Discussion
  B. Third Ground of Appeal: Article 3 of the Statute (crimes against humanity) 
    1.  Arguments of the parties
    2. Introduction to the issue raised
    3. Discussion
  C. Fourth Ground of Appeal:  Article 6 (1) of the Statute
    1.  Arguments of the parties
    2. Discussion
V. DISPOSITION
  DECLARATION OF JUDGE SHAHABUDDEEN
  DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGE NIETO-NAVIA
  ANNEX A: PROCEEDINGS ON APPEAL
    A. Assignment of Counsel to Akayesu
    B. Background to the filings on appeal
      1. Notices of appeal
      2. Filings
    C. Hearings on Appeal
    D. Delivery of the Appeal Judgement
    E. Motions filed by Akayesu
    F. Motions filed by the Prosecution
  ANNEX B:  AKAYESU’S GROUNDS OF APPEAL
    A. First Ground of Appeal: Akayesu was denied the right to be defended by Counsel of his choice
    B. Second ground of appeal: Akayesu was denied the right to a competent Counsel
    C. Third Ground of appeal: Biased and Partisan Tribunal
    D. Fourth ground of Appeal: Total absence of the Rule of Law
      1. First sub-ground: illegal amendment of the initial indictment
      2. Second sub-ground: unlawful use of prior statements
      3.  Third sub-ground: the non-application of the criteria of reasonable doubt, errors of fact
      4. Fourth sub-ground: out-of-court evidence
      5. Other issues
        (a) Judicial notice of United Nations investigation reports
        (b) Interpretation
        (c) Inaccurate transcripts
        (d) Disclosure of evidence
        (e) Expert witnesses
        (f) Witness protection
        (g) Pressure on witnesses and intervention by the Tribunal
        (h) Informal conversation between a judge and a witness during proceedings
    E. Fifth ground of appeal: Total absence of the rule of law
    F. Sixth ground of appeal: Improper hearsay evidence
    G.  Seventh Ground of Appeal: Irregularities in the examination and cross Examination
    H. Eighth Ground of Appeal: Unlawful disclosure of Defence Witness Statements
    I. Ninth Ground of Appeal: the letter of Witness DAAX to the Judges
    J.  Tenth Ground of Appeal: Unlawful detention
    K. Eleventh Ground of Appeal: Appeal Against Sentencing Judgment
      1. First Ground of Appeal Against Sentence
      2. Second Ground of Appeal Against Sentence
      3. Third Ground of Appeal Against Sentence
  ANNEX C: GLOSSARY
    A. Filings of the parties
      1.  Jean-Paul Akayesu’s Appeal
      2. Prosecutor’s Appeal
    B. Other references

 



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