UN tribunal lawyers on strike
2004-01-28 13:42
Tanzania - Defence attorneys at the UN tribunal for Rwanda went on strike on Wednesday to protest what they called unfair and unprofessional treatment by the court, which is trying those suspected of organising the 1994 genocide that left more than 500 000 people dead.
The Defence Lawyers Association sent a protest letter to the court and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan complaining that they are not paid on time, are subject to severe limitations in contacting their clients and that the rights of the accused are not respected.
Scheduled trials failed to begin on Wednesday when defence attorneys failed to show up for work. Nicole Bergevin, a member of the association's executive committee, said defence attorneys would stay away from the court house in northern Tanzania until Saturday.
"Our rights are almost nonexistent and we are of the opinion that the tribunal does not respect our rights," Bergevin said.
Roland Amoussouga, the tribunal's spokesperson, confirmed that the court administrator had received the protest letter.
"We had a meeting and discussed the issues raised," he said. "At the end we agreed to continue the discussions and had the impression that the trials would not be disrupted."
There are 91 attorneys working at the tribunal defending 56 suspects. There are currently 24 trials in progress.
Judge Erick Mose, president of the UN Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, said he regretted the attorney's decision.
"The chamber expects the proceedings to continue without delay," he said.
- AP