Belgium Issues Arrest Warrant for Former Chadian Dictator

October 13, 2005 – Using its “international jurisdiction” law, Belgium issued an international arrest warrant for Hissène Habré, the former president of Chad. Habré, currently living in exile in Senegal, served as Chad’s president from 1982-1990 and has been dubbed the “African Pinochet.” According to media reports, the arrest warrant relates to activities carried out by the Chadian government’s intelligence sector under Habré’s term. The intelligence service is accused of having committed systematic torture, arbitrary arrests and mass murder.

Habré’s prosecution in Belgium is pending his extradition from Senegal. Previously, the governments of both Senegal and Chad have expressed support for Habré’s extradition. The findings of a Chadian truth commission, the Commission of Inquiry into the Crimes and Misappropriations Committed by Ex-President Habré, His Accomplices and/or Accessories, reported in its 1992 findings that Habré’s regime was responsible for upwards of 40,000 killings and instances of systematic torture.

Belgium’s contentious universal jurisdiction law allows the country to claim jurisdiction over those accused of committing the worst atrocities, regardless of where the violations allegedly occurred. Although the law was eventually repealed in 2003 due to international pressure, a grandfather clause allowed Belgium to continue its case against Habré because the case was underway when the law was repealed and three of the plaintiffs bringing charges against Habré are Belgian citizens.
 

Last updated October 13, 2005

UN Reform Document Silent on Call for End to Impunity
Lack of recognition for International Criminal Court’s authority to prosecute perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide a glaring omission
(September 27, 2005)
+ READ MORE

In Uncharted Waters: Seeking Justice Before the Atrocities Have Stopped - The ICC in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(June 23, 2004)
+ READ MORE