Special Court for Sierra Leone, CDF and RUF Trials, Update 48

CDF and RUF Trials

Special Court for Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

English

 The RUF trial began its fifth trial session this week, with the prosecution calling a further four witnesses in its case against the three accused Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao. During a short status conference on Monday, the prosecution announced that it had been granted leave to add a further three witnesses added to its core witness list, bringing the total number of witnesses slated to testify in the prosecution’s case to 102. Perhaps mindful of the 64 witnesses remaining in the prosecution’s case, the Chamber noted that some aspects of examination-inchief and cross-examination continued to be unduly lengthy and oblique and appealed to counsel to ensure their joint commitment to a fair and expeditious trial was upheld. Witness testimony primarily centered on events that occurred in the Kenema district during the RUF/AFRC occupation from August 1997 to May 1998.

The Chamber adjourned briefly from the RUF trial proceedings on Wednesday morning to hear submissions regarding the prosecution’s admission of documentary evidence in the CDF case in accordance with Rule 92bis of the Special Court’s Rules. The judges anticipate delivering their decision on the admissibility of this evidence on Wednesday, 13 July.