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UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS under fire, Accessory to mass murder and a war criminal

Sun May 11, 2008 at 05:51:41 PM PDT

Just a sad reminder of the state of world affairs and the failures of the UN.

Despite this being the 60th anniversary of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, we havent had any celebration out of the OHCHR on their successes

According to the Canadian Barrister, Ms. Arbour, 61, is a "criminal, corrupt, (and) a shame to all Canadians". The sooner she is indicted and thrown in prison the better, says Mr. Black - who was reacting to an interview of the former senior UN officer on CBC. Ms. Arbour announced Sunday that she was retiring after years of international service.

In 1997, Ms. Arbour is said to have been informed by her chief of investigations, Australian Michael Hourigan and his team, including FBI agent Jim Lyons and Canadian police officers assigned to their unit that it was the RPF who had shot down the plane and massacred all those people.

"But instead of indicting Paul Kagame and the RPF men who had murdered all those people she ordered Hourigan to come to The Hague where she told him to kill the investigation and to burn his notes", says Mr. Black.

"This makes her an accessory to mass murder and a war criminal."

http://kangaroocourtaustralia.com/

UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS under fire, Accessory to mass murder and a war criminal

http://kangaroocourtaus.ath.cx/...
http://www.upi.com/...

UN's Louise Arbour Under Fire Over Rwanda
United Press International

Wednesday 09 April 2008

Kigali - The former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour is responsible for covering up the murder of the deceased President of Rwanda, the President of Burundi and many other persons who were assassinated on April 06 1994, a senior attorney with the UN Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has alleged.

Lead Counsel Christopher Black who is defending General Augustin Ndindiliyimana, former Chief of Staff of Rwandan Gendarmerie says that Louise Arbour - as Chief Prosecutor of the ICTR conspired with some countries to cover up investigations into allegations against the RPF.

According to the Canadian Barrister, Ms. Arbour, 61, is a "criminal, corrupt, (and) a shame to all Canadians". The sooner she is indicted and thrown in prison the better, says Mr. Black - who was reacting to an interview of the former senior UN officer on CBC. Ms. Arbour announced Sunday that she was retiring after years of international service.

In 1997, Ms. Arbour is said to have been informed by her chief of investigations, Australian Michael Hourigan and his team, including FBI agent Jim Lyons and Canadian police officers assigned to their unit that it was the RPF who had shot down the plane and massacred all those people.

"But instead of indicting Paul Kagame and the RPF men who had murdered all those people she ordered Hourigan to come to The Hague where she told him to kill the investigation and to burn his notes", says Mr. Black.

"This makes her an accessory to mass murder and a war criminal."

Barrister Black points fingers at the UN, the US, Canada and Belgium as the culprits in helping the RPF to carry out the alleged assassinations. She did this on the instructions of the US government in violation of her oath to be independent as prosecutor, argues Mr. Black.

The ill-equipped UN force in Rwanda during the Genocide was incidentally also headed by Canadian Gen Romeo Dallaire.

Ms. Arbour was the Chief Prosecutor of the ICTR and ICTY between 1996 and 2000. She moved back to the Supreme Court of Canada and in 2004 she became the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

As chief prosecutor, she indicted former Yugoslav and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, among others, for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his part in atrocities committed in Kosovo. The indictment of Slobodan Milosevic was the first of a serving Head of State.

It is during the same period that several senior former officials of the Genocidal government in Rwanda were tracked and brought to book. Their cases have been ongoing at the Tanzania-based court.

Controversy started when it came to what have become the longest and grueling trails involving senior Ex-government soldiers such Major Ntabakuze, Colonel Theoneste Bagosora, Brigadier-General Gratien Kabiligi, and Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva in case 'Military I'.

Others that are co-accused in trail 'Military II' are General Augustin Bizimungu - former chief of staff of the Rwandan army, General Augustin Ndindiliyimana, the former commander of the recognition battalion, Major François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye and Captain Innocent Sagahutu, who commanded a squadron of this elite unit.

The defense in these cases have held that the RPF rebels - with support from some quarters especially the west are responsible for the death of President Habyarimana and thereby culminating into the Genocide. The defense has also stood by demands that as these officers are tried, those they were fighting against should come to the dock as well.

"Once she (Arbour) proved her reliability to the Americans, that is that she was corrupt and willing to cover up those responsible for mass murder, she was then used to lay false war crimes charges against Milosevic in order to prolong the war against Yugoslavia", claims Mr. Black who has worked with the ICTR since 2000.

Last year Ms. Arbour was in Rwanda and held discussions with top government officials and President Paul Kagame. She was also at the forefront praising Rwanda for abolishing the death penalty last year.

In January this year she said she would seek another term at the helm of the UN Rights body but last month decided otherwise.

Obviously a case of ethnic cleansing is a complex one requiring much research

SO here 's one from

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/...

ICTR Chief Investigator in 1997: "Rwanda’s Kagame Assassinated Previous President"

But this is not the first time that crimes of Kagame have been "covered-up" at the ICTR. According to sworn affidavits, placed in the ICTR record in early 2006, well respected ICTR Lead Investigative Prosecutor Michael Hourigan, an Australian QC, recommended that Kagame himself, be prosecuted for the assassination of Habyarimana in 1997! But then-Chief UN Prosecutor, Louise Arbour of Canada, ordered him to drop the Kagame investigation; to forget it ever happened; and, to burn his notes! Hourigan resigned rather than comply and copies of his original notes are now part of the ICTR public record for all to see. [3]

Tags: Human rights OHCHR racism UNIVERSAL DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

Permalink | 36 comments

  •  You know, this might be (4+ / 0-)

    an interesting diary, but your formatting needs much work and some background and links.

  •  Also it appears you have violated (5+ / 0-)

    Fair Use standards.

    You should delete this diary and try again.

    Thanks.

  •  What, exactly, is the point of this diary? (3+ / 0-)

    Do you agree with the  charges leveled by Black?   If so, why?
    And you have copied verbatim an UPI report.  Without any analysis, what is the fair use?

    Also, don't repeat your introduction in the body of the diary.

    It's no use saying that you don't know nothing. It's still gonna get you if you don't do something. Sitting on a fence that's a dangerous course. - M. Knopfler

    by Its the Supreme Court Stupid on Sun May 11, 2008 at 06:31:25 PM PDT

    •  Failures of UN Treaties Bodies on Human Right ? (0+ / 0-)

      doesnt it worry you that the accusation is against the HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS?

      Does it concern you that she resigned and not stay and fight it?

      The allegations can easily verify by those investigators under her charge in 1997

      http://kangaroocourtaustralia.com/

      by ollie007 on Sun May 11, 2008 at 06:38:10 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  The charges come from the Lead Counsel of one (1+ / 0-)

        Recommended by:
        chingchongchinaman

        of the defendants.  That, in and of itself, makes the charge  somewhat suspect.  Also, they relate to her tenure as Prosecutor at ICTR, not to her time as HCHR.  You need to understand that there is something called Prosecutorial discretion.  It means that the Prosecutor determines whether the evidence merits bringing charges.  The fact that charges are not brought is not dispositive.  It simply means that they have been evaluated as not representing proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

        Also, she is 61.  The mandatory UN retirement age is 62.  And her 4 year term is expiring at the end of June.  So the fact that she is leaving is irrelevant.

        There is less here than meets the eye.

        It's no use saying that you don't know nothing. It's still gonna get you if you don't do something. Sitting on a fence that's a dangerous course. - M. Knopfler

        by Its the Supreme Court Stupid on Sun May 11, 2008 at 06:59:49 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  did you read the charges carefully (0+ / 0-)

          she instructed destruction of investigation documents, and she got her gig as OHCHR prosecuting Milosovic et al.

          Can't verify the UN retirement date, since you have offered any links

          But is there any immunity for the Lead counsel at ICTR ?? I am thinking NOT. You dont go on global courts and accuse the High Commissioner just to play joker

          http://kangaroocourtaustralia.com/

          by ollie007 on Sun May 11, 2008 at 07:10:33 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  First of all , Lead Counsel Black holds no (1+ / 0-)

            Recommended by:
            chingchongchinaman

            official position with the ICTR.  He is a contracted defense counsel.  He is making charges in order to force justification as to why certain people were not charged, when his client was.  This game gets played all the time at the international tribunals.  He did not make the charges in Court, but to the press.

            As far as Ms. Arbour's departure from UNHCHR, see their press release.
            Your post reveals misinformation about Ms. Arbour.  If you want to read about Ms. Arbour, I suggest first her posted profile  or the Wikipedia entry.
            Both will point out how wrong you are about her.

            It's no use saying that you don't know nothing. It's still gonna get you if you don't do something. Sitting on a fence that's a dangerous course. - M. Knopfler

            by Its the Supreme Court Stupid on Sun May 11, 2008 at 07:28:40 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

        •  I find it ironic (0+ / 0-)

          that on one hand you seem to express concern about the supreme court, but on the other you believe that all statements by defense attorneys are at best suspect.  That's a rather startling combination of views.

          A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. ~Edward R. Murrow

          by ActivistGuy on Sun May 11, 2008 at 07:51:12 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Public, out-of-court statements by defense (0+ / 0-)

            counsel at international tribunals.  A very particular bar.

            Unlike in national courts, international tribunals almost never cite defense counsel for contempt for making public statements about their cases,  Of course, since these tribunals do not use the jury system, there is little effect of these statements.  Yet, this happens.  That is why I take them with several grains of salt.

            Also, I have seen how legal decisions, not understood by investigators, gets the investigators talking, which then gets twisted around by defense cousel.

            And there is nothing inconsistent between being in favor of a liberal Supreme Court and not trusting the unproven charges of defense counsel.

            It's no use saying that you don't know nothing. It's still gonna get you if you don't do something. Sitting on a fence that's a dangerous course. - M. Knopfler

            by Its the Supreme Court Stupid on Sun May 11, 2008 at 07:58:28 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

      •  ollie, I (2+ / 0-)

        am not trying to diss you, but you really need to provide a bit more content here.

      •  in addition, your title is libelous (1+ / 0-)

        There are serious charges raised, but raising serious charges does not automatically mean that they are true.

        "It's only in books that the officers of the detective force are superior to the weakness of making a mistake." (Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone)

        by chingchongchinaman on Sun May 11, 2008 at 07:20:31 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  Ms.Arbour accused Israel of (2+ / 0-)

    human rights abuses in Lebanon

    The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour has warned that war crimes may have been committed in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. BBC News website World Affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds examines the issues.

    Israel is not a party to the First Protocol though many experts and states say that this should apply in any case. And it remains a standard by which actions can be measured.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/...

    I think she has upset  a few powerful people, most of them right wing and right wingers never like human rights investigations or their outcomes.

    She was a Supreme Court Justice of Canada with an excellent reputation who has been caught up in high level politics at the UN, my opinion fwiw.

    She has been involved in Bosnia, Kosovo, Lebanon, Pakistan, and many other countries where human rights abuses have occurred. The woman has no vested interest in perverting the cause of justice in this particular instance.

    Think Tank. "A place where people are paid to think by the makers of tanks" Naomi Klein.

    by ohcanada on Sun May 11, 2008 at 07:46:41 PM PDT

  •  The other link is how Clintons refused to send in (0+ / 0-)

    the troops when people warned them of impending genocide

    but thats a side issue

    http://kangaroocourtaustralia.com/

    by ollie007 on Sun May 11, 2008 at 07:58:34 PM PDT

  •  Just quick update to the diary to add the cutoff (0+ / 0-)

    to dispell the retirement age of UN officials

    http://kangaroocourtaustralia.com/

    by ollie007 on Sun May 11, 2008 at 10:49:33 PM PDT

Permalink | 36 comments