ICTR to hear 40 more cases before mandated closure

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has 40 more cases to hear before its scheduled closure set for December 2008, according to a senior official of the United Nations court based in Arusha of northern Tanzania.

Acting Deputy Registrar of the court, Everard o'Donnell, told a local press briefing on Thursday that the UN court was expected to complete judgments of 60 cases early next year and was expected to hear between 65 and 70 cases for the entire mandated period, according to local press reports on Friday.

The ICTR court, set up in Arusha in 1995 with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 977, has so far arrested 72 accused by February this year and has so far rendered 28 verdicts including five acquittals.

Trials are underway for 44 other accused.

The ICTR court was set up to hear cases of suspects charged with genocide and the crime against humanity committed during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Rwanda commemorates the 13th anniversary of the 100-day genocide on Saturday.

Source: Xinhua