On the occasion of the Day of International Criminal Justice, the Principals of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), President Graciela Gatti Santana, Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and Registrar Abubacarr M. Tambadou, issued the following statement:

“On the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, we join together with the international community to reflect on the valuable contributions made by international courts and tribunals towards ensuring accountability and upholding the rule of law.

The President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, today concluded her official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

On 12 July 2023, the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) held a conference entitled “Srebrenica Genocide: From Courtroom to Classroom – Utilising Facts Established by the ICTY and IRMCT in Education” at the Sarajevo Canton Memorial Fund, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Today, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) was very pleased to welcome a delegation of Judges and senior Court officials from the Republic of Rwanda (Rwanda) to its premises in The Hague.

Serge Brammertz, Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), today addressed the United Nations Security Council about the work of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP).

Prosecutor Brammertz focused his remarks on recent developments following the submission of his written report on 15 May 2023.

The Mechanism is very pleased to announce that the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. António Guterres, has appointed Judge Lydia N. Mugambe Ssali of Uganda to the roster of Judges of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism).

The OTP is satisfied that the Appeals Chamber accepted our arguments that Stanišić and Simatović are criminally liable as participants in a joint criminal enterprise for a significant number of horrific crimes committed against innocent civilians. The Appeals Chamber confirmed that this joint criminal enterprise comprised, in addition to Stanišić and Simatović, many senior Serbian, Croatian Serb and Bosnian Serb political, military, and police leaders.

The Appeals Chamber of the Mechanism, composed of Judge Graciela Gatti Santana (Presiding), Judge Lee G. Muthoga, Judge Aminatta Lois Runeni N'gum, Judge Yusuf Aksar, and Judge Claudia Hoefer, delivered today its judgement on the appeals filed by Mr. Jovica Stanišić, Mr. Franko Simatović, and the Office of the Prosecutor (“Prosecution”) against the judgement in the case of Prosecutor v. Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović, pronounced on 30 June 2021 and filed in writing on 6 August 2021 by the Trial Chamber of the Mechanism.

On the occasion of the Thirtieth Anniversary of the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the President, Prosecutor and Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) reflected on the ICTY’s legacy and impact. Joining them was the President of the Association of Defence Counsel Practising before the International Courts and Tribunals (ADC-ICT). 

Yesterday afternoon, Fulgence Kayishema – one of the world’s most wanted genocide fugitives – was arrested in Paarl, South Africa in a joint operation by the IRMCT Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) Fugitive Tracking Team and South African authorities.

Kayishema is alleged to have orchestrated the killing of approximately 2000 Tutsi refugees – women, men, children and elderly – at the Nyange Catholic Church during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. He has been at large since 2001.