* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *

8 June 2001
AFR 47/001/2001
100/01

The judgment, by a civilian jury, found three of the four
accused guilty of all charges and a fourth guilty of some and
not-guilty of others. The trial and conviction of the accused is
the latest step in the use of universal jurisdiction over the
past decade as an essential tool in the struggle against impunity
in the case of states where the crimes occurred, which are unable
or unwilling to bring those responsible to justice.

"All states should ensure prompt, thorough and
independent investigations, wherever allegations of crimes under
international law are made. If such an investigation shows that
there is sufficient evidence for prosecution, then states should
prosecute suspects, in accordance with international law," the
organization said. It allows the national courts of any state to
try people accused of such crimes, regardless of the nationality
of the alleged perpetrators or victims and regardless of where
the crimes were committed.

Since the establishment of the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in 1993 and the International
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1994, national prosecutors and
investigating judges in more than a dozen countries, including
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, the
Netherlands, Senegal, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and
the United States have opened investigations or prosecutions
based on universal jurisdiction or have arrested persons at the
request of states conducting such investigations.

An Amnesty International study now being completed
indicates that approximately 120 states have legislation
providing for universal jurisdiction over war crimes or other
crimes under international law, such as crimes against humanity,
genocide and torture. However, in many states such legislation
needs to be strengthened.

In Belgium, the law is under attack by the government,
which is seeking to weaken it. The day before the judgment in
the Rwanda case, the Foreign Minister called for it to be revised
in a way which would seriously limit its effectiveness. Amnesty
International is calling for Belgium not to weaken its universal
jurisdiction legislation in any way.

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