The Prosecution of Hissène Habré: A Victim-Centered Approach to International Justice

Annual Public Lecture on Human Rights

In May 2016, after a tenacious 25 year campaign by his victims, former Chadian dictator Hissène Habré was convicted of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture, including sexual violence and rape, by a special African court in Senegal. The case has been widely hailed as “a milestone for justice in Africa.” Reed Brody, the strategist behind the survivors’ campaign, will discuss the victim-centered model of international justice and how it provides an accessible and politically compelling avenue for addressing atrocities.

Reed Brody is a member of the International Commission of Jurists. His work with the victims of Augusto Pinochet of Chile, Hissène Habré of Chad, and Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier of Haiti has been featured in five documentaries including “The Dictator Hunter.” He is author of four Human Rights Watch reports on the U.S. treatment of “war on terror” prisoners. He has led United Nations teams investigating massacres in the Democratic Republic of Congo and monitoring human rights in El Salvador. His 1984 investigation uncovered atrocities by the U.S.-backed “Contras” against Nicaraguan civilians.