Special Criminal Court at risk of closure by 2028 with thousands of victims awaiting justice
Other than the UN and the EU, no state providing financial support to SCC at the moment
ICC closed investigations; National courts lack resources and independence to take on SCC cases
Suspected perpetrators of crimes under international law in the Central African Republic (CAR), including some of the country’s highest-ranking officials, are at risk of escaping justice unless the Special Criminal Court (SCC) receives the funding it requires to continue investigating and prosecuting cases, Amnesty International said in a new report.
READ OUR REPORT: “The perpetrators are still here” – The Central African Republic’s Special Criminal Court on borrowed time, as victims await justice
“The perpetrators are still here” – The Central African Republic’s Special Criminal Court on borrowed time, as victims await justice
examines the progress and challenges faced by the SCC, which has tried six cases since its inauguration on 22 October 2018, resulting in 19 people being convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, victims of the most serious crimes committed during some of the bloodiest periods in CAR’s history, including during the 2003 coup led by François Bozizé and the 2012–2014 internal armed conflict, are still waiting for all perpetrators in positions of high authority to be prosecuted.
Yet the court, which relies solely on voluntary contributions from states and international organizations, is at risk of closure by 2028. After an initial sense of hope, survivors and victims are beginning to lose faith.
“Victims’ right to justice, truth, and reparations must not depend on the shifting priorities of donors. Thousands of civilians were killed, raped, abducted, maimed, injured, displaced, or had their homes burned down during waves of violence and armed conflict over the last 25 years. Each one of them deserves justice,” said Marceau Sivieude, A
… [more]
