A Day in Court

Don't let the title fool you. We took a break from our Kiswahili language school on Wednesday morning 29 August and observed a portion of the media trial at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. (Rwanda borders Tanzania in the northwest portion of the country.) http://www.ictr.org

In 1994 in Rwanda over a period of about three months, approximately 800,000 Tutsi were killed in an attempt to eliminate the Tutsi population. The United Nations defines genocide as a systematic effort to eliminate a portion of the population for ethnic, racial, or religious reasons. The ICTR was set up in 1994 and in 1995 it was decided to be held in Arusha, Tanzania. The first trial began in 1997 and there are currently over 50 suspects being held in a UN operated facility near the Arusha airport.

As of August 2001, nine trials have been completed resulting in 8 convictions and one acquittal. The appeals chamber has confirmed 5 of the 8 convictions and three are still pending. Those convicted include Jean Kambanda, the Prime Minister of the Rwandan Government during the genocide, who was the first head of Government to be indicted and subsequently convicted for genocide.

These trials are open to the public and our class observed a cross examination of a witness in the media trial. In the media trial, three men are on trial for incitement to commit genocide and crimes against humanity. The process itself takes a long time as the trial is simultaneously translated into English and French, and into Rwandan. The witness only spoke Rwandan, so it took some time for the questions to be asked and answered in the hour and one-half that we observed. It also is taking time because three men are on trial in this chamber, and each of the accused has an attorney representing him. Each attorney has an opportunity to question the witness.

The process is a lengthy one because this had never been done before. There are teams of judges, prosecutors, and defenders that are working in the interest of international justice. For more information, I would recommend that you check out the tribunal website.

It is good to have seen this, but it is difficult to comprehend the scope of the work that is done here, or the scope of the crimes committed in this tragedy. We can truly be thankful for those areas of the world that are at peace, and continue to pray for those areas that are in turmoil. Please continue to pray for world peace.

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Dan, Cathy Sarah, Emily and Grace Smith