Prosecutor v. Semanza, Case No. ICTR-97-20-T, Judgment and Sentence (May 15, 2003).
Original: English
Before Judges:
Yakov Ostrovsky, Presiding
Lloyd G. Williams, QC
Pavel Dolenc
Registrar: Adama Dieng
Judgement of: 15 May 2003
THE PROSECUTOR
v.
LAURENT SEMANZA
Case No. ICTR-97-20-T
JUDGEMENT AND SENTENCE
Counsel for the Prosecution:
Chile Eboe-Osuji
Counsel for the Defence:
Charles Acheleke Taku
Sadikou Ayo Alao
INDEX
I. | Introduction | ||
A. | The Tribunal and its Jurisdiction | ||
B. | The Indictment | ||
C. | The Accused | ||
II. | The Proceedings | ||
A. | Procedural Background | ||
B. | The Trial | ||
C. | Evidentiary Matters | ||
D. | Witness Protection Issues | ||
III. | The Defence Case | ||
A. | The Accused’s Detention in Cameroon | ||
B. | The Nullity of the Indictment Due to Vagueness and Cumulative Charges | ||
1. | Failure to Specify Precise Dates of Criminal Acts | ||
2. | Failure to Specify Precise Locations of Criminal Acts | ||
3. | Failure to Specify the Identity of Victims | ||
4. | Failure to Specify the Form of Participation | ||
5. | Cumulative Charges | ||
6. | Conclusion | ||
C. | The Prosecution’s Failure to Prove that Genocide Occurred in Bicumbi and Gikoro | ||
D. | The Prosecution’s Failure to Establish a Nexus Between an Internal Armed Conflict and the Death of Civilians in Bicumbi and Gikoro | ||
E. | Personal Jurisdiction and Superior Responsibility | ||
F. | Challenges to the Credibility of Witnesses and the Sufficiency of the Evidence Supporting the Prosecution’s Case | ||
G. | Alibi | ||
1. | Notice of Alibi | ||
2. | Gahengeri-Bicumbi (period of mourning): End of March 1994 - 8 April 1994 | ||
3. | Gahengeri-Bicumbi (RPF attack): 8 April 1994 | ||
4. | Nzige-Bicumbi: 9 April 1994 | ||
5. | Gitarama Prefecture: 9 April 1994 – May 1994 | ||
6. | Impossibility | ||
7. | General Conclusion | ||
IV. | The Prosecution Case | ||
A. | Paragraph 3.10 of the Indictment | ||
1. | Allegations | ||
2. | Findings | ||
B. | Paragraphs 3.11 and 3.18 of the Indictment | ||
1. | Allegations | ||
2. | Findings | ||
C. | Paragraph 3.12 of the Indictment | ||
1. | Allegations | ||
2. | Findings | ||
D. | Paragraph 3.13 of the Indictment | ||
1. | Allegations | ||
2. | Findings | ||
E. | Paragraph 3.14 of the Indictment | ||
1. | Findings | ||
F. | Paragraph 3.17 of the Indictment | ||
1. | Allegations | ||
2. | Findings | ||
G. | Paragraph 3.19 of the Indictment | ||
1. | Allegations | ||
2. | Findings | ||
H. | General Allegations | ||
1. | Paragraphs 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 of the Indictment | ||
2. | Paragraph 3.4 of the Indictment | ||
3. | Paragraph 3.5 of the Indictment | ||
4. | Paragraph 3.6 of the Indictment | ||
V. | The Law | ||
A. | Genocide | ||
1. | Mens Rea | ||
2. | Actus Reus | ||
B. | Crimes Against Humanity | ||
1. | The Relationship Between the Enumerated Acts and the General Element | ||
2. | The Attack | ||
3. | The Mental Element for Crimes Against Humanity | ||
4. | The Enumerated Acts | ||
C. | Violations of Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II Thereto (Article 4 of the Statute) | ||
1. | Article 4 of the Statute and the Principle of Nullum Crimen Sine Lege | ||
2. | The Nature of the Conflict | ||
3. | Ratione Personae: Perpetrators | ||
4. | Ratione Personae: Victims | ||
5. | Ratione Loci | ||
6. | The Nexus Between the Alleged Violation and the Armed Conflict | ||
7. | Serious Violation | ||
8. | Specific Violations | ||
D. | Individual Criminal Responsibility | ||
1. | Responsibility Under Article 6(1) of the Statute | ||
2. | Responsibility Under Article 2(3) of the Statute | ||
3. | Responsibility Under Article 6(3) of the Statute | ||
E. | Cumulative Charges and Convictions | ||
1. | Cumulative Charges | ||
2. | Cumulative Convictions | ||
VI. | Legal Findings | ||
A. | Criminal Responsibility | ||
B. | Genocide and Complicity to Commit Genocide | ||
1. | Genocide in Bicumbi and Gikoro Communes | ||
2. | Musha Church | ||
3. | Mwulire Hill | ||
4. | Mabare Mosque | ||
5. | Conclusion With Respect to Count 1 and Count 3 | ||
C. | Direct and Public Incitement to Commit Genocide | ||
D. | Crimes Against Humanity | ||
1. | General Elements | ||
2. | Count 4: Murder | ||
3. | Count 5: Extermination | ||
4. | Count 6: Persecution | ||
5. | Count 8: Rape | ||
6. | Count 10: Rape | ||
7. | Count 11: Torture | ||
8. | Count 12: Murder | ||
9. | Count 14: Murder | ||
10. | Intra-Article 3 Cumulative Convictions | ||
E. | Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol II Thereto | ||
1. | Existence of a Non-International Armed Conflict | ||
2. | Victims | ||
3. | Nexus to the Non-International Armed Conflict | ||
4. | Specific Violations of Common Article 3 and Additional Protocol II | ||
VII. | The Verdict | ||
VIII. | Sentencing | ||
A. | Gravity of the Offences | ||
1. | Sentencing Ranges | ||
B. | Aggravating Factors | ||
1. | Criminal Acts Not Alleged in the Indictment | ||
2. | The Number of Deaths | ||
3. | The Conduct of the Defence | ||
4. | Influence of the Accused | ||
C. | Mitigating Factors | ||
1. | Reduction of Sentence for Violation of Rights | ||
2. | Credit for Time Served | ||
D. | Conclusion | ||
1. | Genocide and Extermination (Counts 3 and 5) | ||
2. | Rape, Torture, Murder (Counts 10, 11, 12, and 14) | ||
3. | Conclusion | ||
Separate Opinion of Judge Yakov Ostrovsky Concerning Serious Violations of Article 3 Common to the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol II | |||
Separate and Dissenting Opinion of Judge Pavel Dolenc | |||
ANNEX I: | INDICTMENT | ||
ANNEX II: | JUDICIAL NOTICE | ||
ANNEX III: | LIST OF CITED JUDGEMENTS AND SENTENCES |
Introduction | The Proceedings | Defence Case | Prosecution Case | The Law | Legal Findings | The Verdict | Sentencing | Opinion Judge Ostrovsky | Opinion Judge Dolenc | Annex I | Annex II | Annex III