Among those following the trial of Col. Bagosora is William Schabas, professor of human rights law at the National University of Ireland and director of the Irish Center for Human Rights and a recipient of the Medal of the International Society for the Reform Criminal Law.
Professor Schabas, who has written a number of books and articles on the international tribunals on Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, says the trial of Col. Bagosora equals that of Slobodan Milosevic. He says the Rwanda tribunal has been criticized for “delays and failure to run a number of trials and deal with them promptly.”
But he says it’s “fundamentally very sound and a very useful exercise in international justice.” Professor Schabas says the tribunal reflects the highest standards of justice and guarantees a fair trial for the accused.
He says it has not received as many resources as the tribunal on Bosnia, and he blames that on the lingering effects of both racism and colonialism. The professor spoke to English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua from Galway, Ireland about the significance of Col. Bagosora being put on trial.