PRACTICE NOTE 5
28
EVIDENCE
STRATEGIC LITIGATION OF ENFORCED
DISAPPEARANCES IN AFRICA
Case study: Habré's conviction for enforced disappearances (Chad)
Hissène Habré was the President of Chad from 1982 to 1990. His regime was
characterised by widespread human rights abuses and atrocities. After lengthy
political and judicial battles, Habré was brought to trial in Senegal, facing charges
of crimes against humanity, including torture, enforced disappearances, and war
crimes. On 30 May 2016, the Extraordinary African Chambers in the Senegalese
Court system found Habré guilty of crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture.
The Prosecutors relied on a variety of evidence to prove the charges, including:
• Findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Crimes and Misappropriations
Committed by Ex-President Habré, His Accomplices and/or Accessories
• Victims’ testimonies
• Testimonies of insiders who worked with Ex-President Habré
• Documents from the Documentation and Security Directorate (DSS), including
a list of prisoners, interrogation reports, and death certificates
• Direct communication from DSS to Habré on the status of 898 detainees
• Forensic anthropology reports
• NGO reports
• Command structure evidence
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents