ICTR has one last chance to connect with victims

With the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) set to close its doors next year, news that some unscrupulous lawyers are using corrupt ways to impede justice, however shocking, does not come as a surprise. The ICTR has struggled in vain, for many years, to shed off its label of an over-bloated incompetent organisation that attracts all sorts of scavengers. The majority of defence lawyers are motivated by revisionism and genocide denial. Since many of the defence counsels believe theirs is a lost cause, from the beginning, they will not hesitate to use any means at their disposal- corruption included. They entice poor peasants with money, and Rwandan convicts with fake promises of liberty in exchange for giving false testimonies Cases of fee-splitting with their clients were common in the last few years, to the extent that some suspects’ families were living off UN funds. The UN Security Council should use the little time the tribunal has to at least make meaningful changes that can resonate in the hearts of millions of Rwandans who want to see justice rendered in a fair manner. Ends

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ICTR has one last chance to connect with victims