28 May 2009

THE HAGUE / HISSENE HABRE

Turning down a request from Belgium, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accepts the assurances of Senegal that it will monitor former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre, who is under house arrest there. Habre is wanted under Belgium’s universal jurisdiction laws for torture and crimes against humanity. ICJ

Posted at: May 28, 2009 2:39 pm

Duration: 01:32

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: THE HAGUE / HISSÈNE HABRÉ
TRT: 1.32
SOURCE: ICJ
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 28 MAY 2009, THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, audience in the court
2. Close up, Belgium's table sign
3. Wide shot, Belgium's table
4. Close up, Senegal's table sign
5. Wide shot, Senegal's table
6. Wide shot, judges
7. Med shot, audience
8 SOUNDBITE (French) Hisashi Owada, President, International Court of Justice (ICJ):
"For these reasons, the Court, by thirteen votes to one, finds that the circumstances, as they now present themselves to the Court, are not such as to require the exercise of its power under Article 41 of the Statute to indicate provisional measures. In favor: President Owada; Judges Shi, Koroma, Al-Khasawneh, Simma, Abraham, Sepúlveda-Amor, Bennouna, Skotnikov, Yusuf, Greenwood; Judges ad hoc Sur, Kirsch; against: Judge Cançado Trindade."
9. Various shots, judges leaving the court

STORYLINE:

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), today (28 May) in The Hague rejected Belgium's request to bar former Chadian president Hissen Habre from leaving Senegal.

Belgium had asked the ICJ to order Senegal to place Habre in custody fearing he would flee justice; but the international court said it was satisfied with Senegal's assurances that it would not let him go.

Habré was indicted in Dakar in 2000, on charges of crimes against humanity and torture during his rule in Chad from 1982 to 1990, and placed under house arrest. But a Dakar appeals court ruled later that year that crimes against humanity did not form part of Senegalese law. Senegal referred the case to the African Union, and decided in 2007 to amend the country's law to include the offence of crimes against humanity.

Belgium in turn pursued the case because of Senegal's pleas that it does not have the financial means to prosecute him. In September 2005 a Belgian judge charged Habre with crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture committed during his rule, and requested his extradition.

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