The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals‘ head prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, has issued a warning that the system has to devote more resources to finding suspects.
He was speaking to BBC Focus on Africa TV after a UN court mandated that Félicien Kabuga, a suspect in the Rwandan genocide, have his war crimes trial suspended indefinitely due to dementia and that his release be considered.
In 2020, Mr. Kabuga was apprehended after 20 years on the run.
The prosecutor urged nations that refused to extradite individuals to quickly set up procedures for prosecuting these suspects there instead.
The BBC was informed by Mr. Brammertz that “time is running out for the pursuit of justice” and that “this case very much shows that justice delayed in some cases can be justice denied.”
In addition, the UN tribunal rejected the prosecutor’s requests for a quicker alternative process.
Even while the accused is somewhat at the centre of the proceedings and their rights must be protected, Mr. Brammertz noted that the issue at hand is far larger than just the accused person.
“There are thousands of casualties as well. The genocide’s historical record. In addition to weighing the accused’s situation, which is crucial, one must also consider how justice is administered.
However, Mr. Brammertz continues to be confident that more justice for genocide survivors must be sought.