Special Court for Sierra Leone, RUF Trial, Update 80a

RUF Trial

Special Court for Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

English

The eighth session of the RUF accused trial began this week with a Status Conference on 19 June 2006. The trial session is scheduled to continue until 3 August 2006, inclusive. The health of the first accused, Issa Sesay, figured prominently in the Status Conference: Sesay continues to await surgery for a bullet wound in his hip. The Registry’s efforts to complete the required administrative and legal processes to allow for the procedure to be conducted outside Sierra Leone appear to have reached a stalemate, with defence counsel having no further update as to the progress on this issue.

As well as this, the Prosecution indicated its intention to close its case by the end of this trial session, during which the testimony of two major expert witnesses as well as a key insider witness will be heard. The Presiding Judge assured both parties that a decision on the prosecution’s motion for leave to amend the Indictment will soon be published.

Two witnesses for the Prosecution testified this week. Major Jaganathan testified about his experience as a UN military observer in Makeni when he was taken captive by RUF combatants and held hostage for several weeks. The second witness who began his testimony represents a major insider witness for the Prosecution and as such the crossexamination has been lengthy and rigorous and is set to continue in next week’s proceedings.