| Press Release | REGISTRY |
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
CC/P.I.S./589e
ICTY's President Claude Jorda pays Tribute to
"The Inspiring Leadership" of the late Judge Laïty Kama.
The Judges and the Registry of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have received with great sadness the news of the sudden death of Judge Laïty Kama, of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), at the age of 62.
Elected President of the ICTR in 1995 and 1997, and presiding over a Trial Chamber since 1999, Judge Laïty Kama will be remembered as a leading figure in the development of international justice. Judge Laïty Kama, who joined the ICTR following a successful career in the judiciary of Senegal, left a unique mark on the establishment and management of the International Tribunal in Arusha (Tanzania). It was under his presidency that the ICTR handed down the first-ever convictions for genocide in the Akayesu and Kambanda cases.
Expressing the great sorrow of the Judges and members of the Registry of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, President Claude Jorda paid tribute to "the inspiring leadership of Judge Laïty Kama: with this great African lawyer, we have lost an exemplary vision of, and a strong commitment to, the cause of human rights. His insight and straightforwardness were crucial during the founding years of the ICTR, and the end of his term as ICTR’s President did not diminish his influence. I hope that the memory of this founding figure of international justice continues his presence in our midst, and guides the action, as determined and thoughtful as he was, of the Tribunals in Arusha and The Hague".
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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