Lawyers for Chad ex-dictator Habre appeal life sentence

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The legal team for Chad's former dictator Hissene Habre has appealed the verdict handed down by a special tribunal that found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity, war crimes, torture and sex crimes during his time in power, one of his lawyers said Saturday.

The appeal was submitted Friday to the Extraordinary African Chambers, set up by Senegal and the African Union to try Habre for crimes committed during his 1982-1990 rule.

It was the first trial in which the courts of one country prosecuted the former ruler of another for alleged human rights crimes.

What the Conviction of Chad's Former Dictator Means for African Human Rights

The breakthrough for many victims of atrocities committed under the former Chadian dictator Hissène Habré came on May 30 in Dakar, Senegal. After nearly two decades of effort by activists, the Extraordinary African Chambers in the courts of Senegal convicted Habré of torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity and handed down a life sentence. For those of us in the courtroom, the cries of joy from the victims after the judges’ ruling underscored its immense importance.

Habré was the first African suspect prosecuted under ‘universal jurisdiction’

The Habré trial was the first in which a court in Africa prosecuted a suspect under “universal jurisdiction”— which allows states to prosecute certain heinous crimes even if they were committed abroad, by foreigners and against foreigners. While many countries have universal jurisdiction laws, few have used them. European countries have launched most such cases. South Africa has begun to investigate crimes on the basis of universal jurisdiction but has yet to bring any prosecutions.

Robert Mugabe Wants Africa to Establish Its Own International Criminal Court to Try Europeans

The 92 year old Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe has stated that Africa should also establish its own International Criminal Court (ICC) which would be mandated to prosecute Western leaders who have committed crimes on the continent.

The country-owned Chronicle newspaper, quoted Mugabe who doubles as African Union (AU) chair, as saying that it was high time Africa established a criminal court which would seek justice for “serious” war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the West, particularity during the colonial era.

Sri-Lankan Model Against Boko Haram: Between Human Rights Watch And Nigeria Military

Human Rights Watch says Nigeria’s military should not use the example of Sri Lanka’s defeat of Tamil separatists in its war against Boko Haram.

To crush Boko Haram insurgents, Nigeria's Defence Headquarters last week declared it would employ the "Sri Lankan method." It's hard to imagine a worse idea.

Boko Haram's brutal campaign in northern Nigeria demands urgent action to protect the civilian population. The militant Islamist group's atrocities have killed thousands and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, sparking a humanitarian crisis in Nigeria's northeast and across national borders. Boko Haram's April kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls has dramatically increased international attention on the problem and pressure on the government to resolve it.