Human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, on Friday said the decision to grant reparation to thousands of victims in cases against former Chadian president Hissene Habré marks a significant moment in their long and determined quest for justice.
“Friday’s decision is a significant step in enabling the victims of crimes in the cases Hissene Habre to move on with their lives,” said Erica Bussey, Amnesty International Senior Legal Advisor for Africa.
Ms. Bussey stated: “It is also a victory for the victims of human rights violations all over the world as it demonstrates the urgent need for reparation even when decades have passed since the crimes were committed.”
She said that Amnesty International urged the Extraordinary African Chambers (EAC), the African Union, the government of Chad and the international community to take the necessary steps to ensure that sufficient resources are raised and allocated to a Trust Fund from which the reparations will likely be drawn so that the decision can be implemented.
The EAC was created in 2012 by an agreement between the African Union and the Government of Senegal.
The trial against Habré opened on 20 July 2015, and 69 victims, 23 witnesses and 10 expert witnesses testified during the proceedings.
Among other evidence, the prosecution relied on research reports from Amnesty International from the 1980s. A former Amnesty International staff member also testified during the trial as an expert witness.
The case was the first universal jurisdiction case on the continent and the first conviction of a former head of state by an African court for crimes against humanity.
It also prompted the Chadian authorities, after permitting decades of impunity, to finally investigate alleged crimes and prosecute other suspects, which resulted in convictions in March 2015 of 20 Habré-era security agents on charges of murder, torture, kidnapping and arbitrary detention.
The court issued an oral verdict on 30 May 2016, but has yet to issue a full written judgment. All parties had an opportunity to make submissions during the reparations proceedings, but no oral hearings were held.
Habré’s lawyers have appealed his conviction.
In that regard, Amnesty International stressed the need for sufficient resources to be allocated to the EAC, “so that it completes the appeal, fully and effectively.”
The EAC in Dakar on Friday granted the civil party victims of rape and sexual violence in the case 20 million FCFA each (US$33,880), the civil party victims of arbitrary detention, torture, prisoners of war and survivors in the case 15 million FCFA each (US$25,410) and the indirect victims 10 million FCFA each (US$16,935).
It also noted that the EAC rejected the civil parties’ request for collective reparations.
Habré was found guilty of crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture committed between 1982 and 1990 and sentenced to life imprisonment by the EAC on 30 May 2016.
