UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced yesterday the appointment of Mr. Olufemi Elias of Nigeria as the Registrar of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (“MICT” or “Mechanism”), effective 1 January 2017.

Mr. Elias will succeed Mr. John Hocking of Australia, who has been serving as the Registrar of the MICT since January 2012. The Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to Mr. Hocking for his service, including his instrumental role in setting up the Mechanism, and overseeing the construction of its new premises in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania.

The official opening of the new premises of the Arusha Branch of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (“MICT” or “Mechanism”) was marked by a ceremony held on Friday, 25 November 2016, in Arusha, presided over by H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who delivered the keynote speech. The ceremony brought together over 300 attendees, including Government representatives from the United Republic of Tanzania, representatives of the international community and the United Nations, judges and staff of the MICT, and the media.

Media are invited to attend the official opening ceremony of the new premises of the United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (“MICT”) in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania. The MICT President, Judge Theodor Meron, Prosecutor, Mr. Serge Brammertz, and Registrar, Mr. John Hocking, will be joined by high dignitaries of the United Republic of Tanzania, as Host State, the Republic of Rwanda, the United Nations, and the diplomatic community.

ICTY and MICT Prosecutor Serge Brammertz will be in Sarajevo on 14 and 15 November 2016, as part of preparations for his regular biannual reports to the UN Security Council (UNSC).

The Prosecutor will meet with members of the BiH Presidency, President of the BiH Court Meddžida Kreso and Acting Chief Prosecutor Gordana Tadić.

The Prosecutor will also meet with representatives of victims’ organizations and members of the diplomatic community.

It is expected that Prosecutor Brammertz will present his next reports to the UNSC in early December.

MICT Prosecutor Serge Brammertz was in Nairobi, Kenya on 10 and 11 November, where he was a lead participant in a conference to establish the Great Lakes Judicial Cooperation Network.

Judge Theodor Meron, President of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (“MICT”), yesterday met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon.

During the meeting, which took place at UN headquarters in New York, President Meron expressed his appreciation to the Secretary-General for his sustained commitment to the success of international justice over the course of the past decade and for his leadership in giving a voice to victims of horrific crimes.

President Theodor Meron today presented the fourth Annual Report of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (“MICT”) to the United Nations General Assembly and briefed the Assembly on the ongoing detention of a Judge of the Mechanism, Judge Aydin Sefa Akay of Turkey, by Turkish authorities.
 

MICT Prosecutor Serge Brammertz will be in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania between 2 and 4 November, as part of preparations for his regular biannual report to the UN Security Council.

The Prosecutor will meet with Government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Director of Public Prosecutions, to discuss cooperation between the MICT and Tanzania as host state and other issues of mutual interest. He will also meet with representatives of the diplomatic community.

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (“Mechanism”) today marks the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, by releasing a short informational video entitled “Preserving History as it Happens: An Introduction to the Audiovisual Archives of the International Criminal Tribunals”. The video, produced by the Mechanism's Archives and Records Section (“MARS”), highlights the unique audiovisual records that are preserved in the Mechanism's archives,  showcases the variety and the extent of this material, and informs the public as to how to access material managed by the Mechanism.

Mr. Serge Brammertz, Prosecutor of the ICTY and MICT, will be in Belgrade on 27 and 28 October, as part of preparations for his regular biannual report to the UN Security Council.

The Prosecutor will meet with Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, Minister of Interior Nebojša Stefanović, Minister of Justice Nela Kuburović, and the representatives of the Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor, as well as representatives of the international community and civil society.