Appointment of his Excellency Mohamed El Habib Fassi Fihri to replace Judge Mohamed Bennouna as of 1 March 2001.

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(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)

Appointment of his Excellency Mohamed El Habib Fassi Fihri
to replace Judge Mohamed Bennouna as of 1 March 2001

 

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, has appointed His Excellency Mohamed El Habib Fassi Fihri (Morocco) to succeed Judge Mohamed Bennouna (Morocco) as of 1 March 2001 as a permanent Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

Acting pursuant to Article 13(3) of the Tribunal’s Statute, the Secretary-General consulted with the Presidents of the Security Council and General Assembly prior to appointing Judge El Habib Fassi Fihri. The latter will serve the remainder of Judge Bennouna’s term of office, until 16 November 2001.

Judge Mohamed Bennouna will continue to carry out his judicial duties at the ICTY until 28 February 2001. After this date, he will take up new duties at the diplomatic service of the Kingdom of Morocco.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF JUDGE MOHAMED EL HABIB FASSI FIHRI

Born on 12 January 1932 at Essaouira, Mr. Mohamed El Habib Fassi Fihri has conducted a long career as both a judge and a diplomat.

Judge and Vice-President of the Tribunal régional de Casablanca (1957-1960), he became Procureur du Roi (1962), Avocat Général à la Cour suprême (1971) and Président de Chambre à la Cour suprême (1986).

Meanwhile, Mr. El Habib Fassi Fihri held the position of Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice (1964-1971, and 1976-1982) and was appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Greece (1982-1986).

In 1990, M. El Habib Fassi Fihri was appointed Ambassador to Austria, and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations in Vienna as well to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of which he was the Governor. He also followed the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

JUDGE BENNOUNA WAS SWORN IN AT THE ICTY ON 16 NOVEMBER 1998

As a member of Trial Chamber III, Judge Mohamed Bennouna has sat on the trial in the case The Prosecutor against Dario Kordic & Mario Cerkez, in which the judgement is currently being considered. He has also taken part in pre-trial proceedings and decisions in numerous cases currently at the pre-trial stage: The Prosecutor against Simic et al., The Prosecutor against Sikirica et al., The Prosecutor against Krajisnik.

As a member of the Appeals Chamber, Judge Bennouna has been designated pre-appeal Judge in the case The Prosecutor against Kupreskic et al., and has heard the appeals in the case The Prosecutor against Delalic et al. (Celebici), in which the Judgement will be handed down on 20 February 2001.

 

 

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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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