ICTR detainees on hunger strike

Twenty detainees at the Arusha-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on Tuesday began a hunger strike, demanding fair trials and more freedom for their defence lawyers, the Internews press service reported. In a six-page letter to Adama Dieng, the ICTR registrar, the protesting detainees claimed there was “enormous pressure” from the Rwandan government on the tribunal, thus putting into doubt the UN court’s dispensation of justice. They alleged they did not get the benefit of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

ICTR spokesman Kingsley Moghalu dismissed the claims as “baseless”, Internews reported. He said the tribunal had done everything possible to improve the working conditions of defence lawyers by offering office accommodation and equipment. “The allegations have no grounds at all. The arguments are negated by facts,” Moghalu said.