Global Policy Forum

Judges on a UN war crimes tribunal fell about laughing while a woman victim described to the court how she had been raped during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, victims' rights groups complained Saturday.

The rights groups are demanding sanctions against judges William Sekule, Winston Churchill Maqutu and Arlette Romaroson, members of the bench of the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and against defence lawyer Duncan Mwanyumba.

The three judges "openly made fun of the witness although they were perfectly aware that she was the sole suvivor of women raped by the accused," a statement said.

The statement by two rights groups, Ibuka and AVEGA (Association of the Widows of Genocide) was commenting on proceedings on Friday at the ICTR trial of Arsene Ntahobari in the Tanzanian town of Arusha.

The online magazine Diplomatie judiciaire, which covers ICTR proceedings, said the judges "shook with laughter," during cross-examination of the witness by defence lawyer Mwanyumba on the circumstances of the alleged rape.

The magazine said the tribunal had "descended into dishonour" during the two weeks in which the young witness had been on the stand.

The groups have addressed an open letter to the principal ICTR judge "requesting that sanctions be imposed and that the witness receive an apology for the treatment she received."

Set up in 1994, the ICTR tries persons charged with involvement in the Rwanda genocide. It has so far handed down eight sentences and one acquittal, and has been criticised for lack of results despite the considerable resources at its disposal.

The tribunal employs 800 staff and its 2001 budget was 90 million dollars.

In a orchestrated campaign of butchery, Hutu militants and soldiers slaughtered an estimated up to 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus over a three-month period in 1994.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C íŸ 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.