Rwanda HUMAN Justice Compromised RIGHTS The Legacy of Rwanda’s Community-Based Gacaca Courts WATCH Justice Compromised The Legacy of Rwanda’s Community-Based Gacaca Courts Copyright © 2011 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-757-4 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org may 2011 1-56432-757-4 Justice Compromised The Legacy of Rwanda’s Community-Based Gacaca Courts I. Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 1 II. Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 7 To the Rwandan Government ....................................................................................................... 7 To Rwandan Justice Officials ........................................................................................................ 7 To the Rwandan Legislature ........................................................................................................ 8 To Donors ................................................................................................................................... 9 To Countries Considering the Use of Dispute Resolution Mechanisms Similar to Gacaca to Prosecute Serious Crimes ........................................................................................................... 9 III. Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 11 IV. The Rwandan Genocide and the Decision to Use Gacaca.............................................................. 13 V. The Initial Phase of Gacaca .......................................................................................................... 17 Differences between the Customary and Contemporary Gacaca Systems .................................... 17 The Legal Framework Governing Genocide Cases and Gacaca Courts .......................................... 18 Rwanda’s first genocide law ................................................................................................ 18 The gacaca laws .................................................................................................................. 19 Gacaca’s Pilot Phase.................................................................................................................. 21 National Implementation of Gacaca ........................................................................................... 22 Repeated Extensions of Gacaca’s Closing Date .......................................................................... 23 The Final Phase of Gacaca .......................................................................................................... 25 VI. Balancing Community-Based Conflict Resolution Practices with Fair Trial Standards ................. 27 Limited International Fair Trial Rights in Gacaca ......................................................................... 27 The right to counsel ............................................................................................................ 28 The presumption of innocence ............................................................................................ 31 The right to be informed of the case and to have time to prepare a defense ......................... 34 The right to present a defense ............................................................................................. 42 The right to testify in one’s defense and the right against self-incrimination ......................... 45 Protection from double jeopardy ........................................................................................ 48 The right to be present at one’s own trial ............................................................................. 55 The right not to be arbitrarily detained ................................................................................ 62 Differences in Judicial Standards between Conventional Courts and Gacaca ............................... 65 Judges: qualifications, training, remuneration and removal ................................................. 65 Burden and standards of proof ........................................................................................... 69 Sentencing and Reparations ...................................................................................................... 73 Provisional releases ............................................................................................................ 74 “Life imprisonment with special provisions” ........................................................................ 75 Community service .............................................................................................................. 77 Compensation.................................................................................................................... 80 VII. The Community Dynamic of Gacaca ........................................................................................... 83 Community Participation ............................................................................................................ 83 Risks for Witnesses ................................................................................................................... 86 Risk of arbitrary arrest and detention or being charged with committing perjury or complicity in genocide ........................................................................................................................ 88 Fear of being ostracized by the community ......................................................................... 90 Intimidation ........................................................................................................................ 91 Gacaca as a Means of Resolving Personal Grievances ............................................................... 94 Silencing Opponents and Critical Voices ................................................................................... 98 The case of Dr. Théoneste Niyitegeka.................................................................................. 98 The case of Father Guy Theunis .......................................................................................... 99 Other cases ....................................................................................................................... 100 VIII. Independence and Impartiality of the Gacaca Process ............................................................. 104 Potential Conflicts of Interest for Judges ................................................................................... 104 Corruption and Personal Gain through Gacaca ......................................................................... 105 Judges requesting bribes ................................................................................................... 106 Accused persons seeking exoneration ............................................................................... 108 Genocide survivors seeking compensation ........................................................................ 109 External Interference in Decision-Making ................................................................................. 110 IX. Rape Cases: the Antithesis of Gacaca ........................................................................................ 112 The Decision to Transfer Rape Cases to Gacaca ........................................................................ 112 Rape Cases that Were Not Brought before Gacaca ..................................................................... 115 Rape Victims’ Perspectives on Gacaca ..................................................................................... 116 X. Selective Justice and the Failure to Address Rwandan Patriotic Front Crimes ................................. 119 XI. Perspectives on Gacaca ............................................................................................................ 122 Genocide Survivors’ Perspectives ............................................................................................ 122 The Perspectives of Those Accused of Genocide and their Families .......................................... 124 Reconciliation Achieved? ......................................................................................................... 125 XII. International Support for Gacaca ............................................................................................. 127 XIII. Conclusion .............................................................................................................................