The trial of the Former president of Chadian strongman Hissène Habré is the first case where a former African head of state has been tried under extraterritorial jurisdiction. 25 years after he was deposed, and despite political and legal hiccups, a surly Habré was brought face to face with his victims before the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal on July 20th 2015l.
The judgment on Habré’s case was delivered on May 30, 2016 by the EAC Chief Judge Gberdao Gustave Kam of Burkina Faso. Habré’s court-appointed lawyers appealed the conviction as the victims’ cross-appealed the decision on the compensation. The verdict in the appeal of Habré’s conviction will be read on April 27, 2017.
Judge Gberdao Gustave Kam delivered the judgment on the Habré’s case by reading a summary of the decision that the three-judge panel had made on the case using Senegalese law. The Chamber found Habré guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The court went ahead and instructed Habré to make reparations to the victims by paying approximately 90 million Euros. It additionally awarded the survivors of his (Habré’s) regime some money, varying on the kind of atrocity committed on them. Survivors of rape and sexual slavery received the highest award of 30,490 Euros and the heirs of deceased victims received the least award of 15,243 Euros.
Television spectacle
