#European war 5 all generals trial#
Why is Kunti K.’s trial taking place in France? The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), a multinational military force deployed to Liberia in 1990, was also implicated in the looting, harassment, and arbitrary detention of civilians, as well as indiscriminate airstrikes against civilians and civilian structures. The violence blighted the lives of tens of thousands of civilians and displaced almost half the population. They abducted children from their homes and schools, and pressed them into service, often after murdering their parents in front of them. They subjected girls and women to horrific sexual violence including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery, torture, and outrages on personal dignity. In a few cases, they massacred hundreds of civilians in a matter of hours. This included the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), ULIMO and its splinter factions ULIMO-K and ULIMO-J, the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), the Liberian Peace Council (LPC), the government of Liberia (including various security forces), militias and the government-backed Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (Model), Lofa Defense Force, and the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD).įighters gunned down Liberian men, women, and children in their homes, villages, marketplaces, and places of worship. Domestic and international human rights groups, foreign embassies, the media, and the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) identified summary executions, massacres, rape and other forms of sexual violence, mutilation and torture, and forced conscription and use of child combatants, among the numerous abuses.Ĭrimes were committed by members of all parties to the conflict, government and rebel groups alike. Liberia’s civil wars (03) were characterized by widespread and systematic violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. What atrocities were committed in Liberia during its civil wars?
After an appeal by the prosecutor in 2021, the charges were expanded to include crimes against humanity, including sexual violence. for the crimes of torture and “barbaric acts,” such as acts of cannibalism, allegedly committed during the first Liberian civil war. In 2020, the prosecutor indicted Kunti K. Earlier that year, the nongovernmental organization Civitas Maxima had filed a criminal complaint, which prompted the Paris prosecutor to start an investigation into his alleged responsibility for crimes against humanity. ULIMO is a rebel group that was active during Liberia’s first civil war, which lasted from 1989 to 1996, and during which extensive international crimes were committed.įrench police arrested Kunti K. is a 48-year-old alleged former commander of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO). This question-and-answer document, prepared by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International France, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) provides background on the accused, the trial, and its significance for accountability for civil wars-era crimes in Liberia, as well as overall efforts by France to investigate and prosecute international crimes on the basis of universal jurisdiction.įrance’s Trial for Atrocities Committed in Liberiaġ. This trial is a significant step for Liberian victims who largely have yet to see justice done for widespread and systematic violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed during Liberia’s civil wars. On October 10, 2022, the criminal trial of Kunti K., an alleged Liberian rebel commander, will begin in France. How many cases on serious crimes have been opened in France?.What are the limitations of French universal jurisdiction laws and what improvements are needed?.How do French universal jurisdiction law and practice compare to other countries in Europe?.Does Liberia’s government support the Kunti K.What steps should the Liberian government take to ensure perpetrators of international crimes are held to account?.Have French authorities done any outreach to affected communities in Liberia?.How accessible is the trial to the public and affected communities in Liberia and elsewhere?.
How can victims participate in the proceedings?.What are the rights of the defendant during the trial?.
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