Ad Hoc International Criminal Tribunals
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Special Criminal Court created by law to prosecute war crimes
In early June the President of the Transitional Government, Catherine Samba-Panza, promulgated organic law No. 15,003 for the creation of a Special Criminal Court (CPS) to investigate and prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity that had been committed in the country since January 2003. With a five year mandate, the Court based in Bangui will have four chambers: Investigating Chamber, Special Prosecutions Chamber, Trial Chamber and Appeals Chamber. The UN peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) will nominate international judges and a special prosecutor. The Court’s Budget will also be covered by the international community through voluntary contributions. The law also stipulates that the Court will cooperate with the ICC; it is the first time a local Court has been created while the ICC is investigating human rights violations in the same country. Welcoming the establishment of the CPS, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) urged the international community to support the CAR authorities in the establishment of an effective court, especially by appointing magistrates, finding premises and ensuring adequate funding. In December 2014 the UN mandated International Commission of Inquiry on the Central African Republic said the number of people killed in the armed conflict from August 2012 to December 2014 could range from 3,000 to 6,000, but warned that this estimation fails to capture the full magnitude of the killings. (UN, S/2014/928; JusticeInfo.net, 07/06/15; FIDH, 10/06/15)