Historically, the IADL has opposed the transfer of ICTR defendants to Rwanda based on its egregious human rights record and lack of due process. The IADL has campaigned against transfer at the UN in NY, and has issued statements and filed an amicus brief.
When the ICTR closed at the end of 2015, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), a UN subsidiary organ, took over its functions. The IRMCT’s mandate ends in June 2026.
Again, the ICTR acquitted persons and those who have completed their sentences who are now in a “safe house” in Niger, and the ICTR prisoners in Benin and Senegal are facing transfer to Rwanda when the IRMCT closes.
This is a death sentence for the ICTR persons.
Below are IADL’s Observations on the Closing of the IRMCT. These were sent to the UN Secretary-General, Members of the Security Council and their Legal Advisors, and the Informal Working Group on International Courts and Tribunals.