Kunti Kamara’s conviction is final Paris, France: In a court order issued on June 25, 2024, the Cour de Cassation, France’s highest judicial body, ruled that Kunti Kamara’s pourvoi en cassation had lapsed after failing to meet the legal deadline for submitting his legal argument memo. The pourvoi en cassation is an exceptional legal remedy […]
Kunti Kamara: conviction for complicity in crimes against humanity confirmed on appeal
Kunti Kamara: conviction for complicity in crimes against humanity confirmed on appeal Paris, France: Today, the Paris “Cour d’assises”, composed of three judges and nine jury members, confirmed the 2022 guilty verdict and found Kunti Kamara, former Liberian ULIMO rebel commander, guilty of complicity in crimes against humanity, and commission of simple and aggravated acts of torture […]
Chopped up with an axe and a heart eaten out: some crimes never die
Not long ago, the appeal trial of Alieu Kosiah, a former rebel leader who committed atrocities during the First Liberian Civil War, took place. The Federal Criminal Court of Bellinzona sentenced him on June 1, 2023, for war crimes and, for the first time, crimes against humanity. Alain Werner, director of Civitas Maxima and lawyer for the plaintiffs in the trial, shares his thoughts on this unprecedented verdict.
First Conviction in Switzerland for Crimes Against Humanity
First Conviction in Switzerland for Crimes Against Humanity Bellinzona, Switzerland – Seven plaintiffs write a page of Swiss and Liberian history as Alieu Kosiah is convicted for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Today, June 1, 2023, after 4 weeks of hearings between January and February 2023 – the Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Federal Criminal […]
War crimes round-up: Liberian civil war rebels on trial again, survivor testifies against Gambian ‘death squad’
January 2023 highlighted the growing impact of universal jurisdiction, with Switzerland’s first war crimes trial involving Liberian Alieu Kosiah. Meanwhile, former rebels faced charges in Finland, and the trial of Gambian death squad member Bai L. marked a historic moment for accountability. Global efforts against impunity continue to expand.
November 2, 2022 – Day 17: The verdict
November 2, 2022 – Day 17: The verdict The floor was given to Kunti Kamara. He stated that he had nothing more to add. He reaffirmed his innocence and indicated that he was only a simple soldier at the time of the events. The President explained that it was up to the Court to deliberate […]
October 31, 2022 – Day 16 : The prosecution and the defence plead
October 31, 2022 – Day 16 : The prosecution and the defence plead The morning was devoted to the closing arguments of the two general counsels and the afternoon to the pleadings of the defense lawyers. The first public prosecutor said she was speaking after three weeks of a very dense trial and complex stories […]
October 28, 2022 – Day 15 : The civil party pleads
October 28, 2022 – Day 15 : The civil party pleads The President began this new day of hearings by recalling that the Court was seized by the Investigating Chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal for (i) acts of complicity in crimes against humanity concerning the acts of rape of which RSK and EFNS […]
October 27, 2022 – Day 14 : Kamara speaks
October 27, 2022 – Day 14 : Kamara speaks The President agreed with the request of some of the jurors and asked the Chief of Police to bring Kunti Kamara to the center of the courtroom for a few moments so that the jurors could appreciate her physical appearance. Summary examination on the merits of […]
October 26, 2022 – Day 13 : Civitas Maxima
October 26, 2022 – Day 13 : Civitas Maxima Deliberations of the Court on the procedural issue of the statute of limitations raised by the defence The Court deliberated on the procedural issue of the statute of limitations for the prosecution raised by the defence. The President stated that the Court had ruled in an […]
