Mechanism welcomes members of the IBUKA organisation to its Hague branch

Today, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) was honoured to welcome to its Hague branch a delegation of 75 members of IBUKA, the umbrella organisation for survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The delegation was composed primarily of IBUKA members based in the Netherlands and in Belgium, including relatives of victims of the Genocide, and the purpose of the visit was to allow them to become familiar with the work of the Mechanism, especially in relation to persons indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

At the start of their visit, the IBUKA representatives were greeted by Judge Alphons Orie, Judge of the Mechanism and previously a long-serving Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, who gave opening remarks and discussed the importance of protection for witnesses and dialogue with victims.

Next, the delegation received a series of comprehensive briefings on the Mechanism’s activities and current priorities by senior staff from the Chambers, the Office of the Prosecutor, and the Registry. Of particular interest to the IBUKA members were the ongoing case against Félicien Kabuga and ways to strengthen the fight against impunity.

The delegates expressed their gratitude for the presentations and the Mechanism’s hospitality, reiterating their interest in its work and their commitment to promoting justice and combating genocide denial.

The visit concluded with a group photograph in the lobby of the Mechanism’s premises.

This was the first such visit by a group of IBUKA representatives to the Mechanism's branch in The Hague.