Israel Matzav

France preparing to investigate genocide and war crimes

France is preparing to investigate genocide and war crimes. Unlike Britain, where any moron can have a warrant issued, France requires some connection between the plaintiff and the case, such as the involvement of a French citizen or the alleged war criminal's presence on French soil.

Unlike British law, legislation in France allows prosecution for crimes committed outside France but requires some connection between France and the alleged crime, such as involvement of a French citizen or the presence of those accused on French soil. A number of people exiled in France have been accused of involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, for instance, and French-resident relatives of people allegedly tortured in Tunisia have brought charges against authorities of that North African country.

"As the homeland of human rights, France will never be a sanctuary for the authors of genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity," Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner [pictured. CiJ] and Justice Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie said in a joint statement published in Le Monde newspaper.

But bringing legal action against those accused of such crimes frequently surpasses the ability of French courts to assemble cases and marshal the evidence required for conviction, they said. "The complexity of the cases inevitably slows procedure," they added. "The growth in the number of pending cases, notably concerning more than 15 Rwandans awaiting judgment, moves us to act quickly."

Didier said the new unit will include specialists with historical knowledge of the issues, such as the ethnically oriented Hutu attacks on Rwanda's Tutsis in 1994, and linguists able to gather testimony more quickly. The specialists will "devote themselves full-time to these kinds of cases," he said, with the hope of breaking up the logjams cited by Kouchner and Alliot-Marie in the Rwanda cases.

"People suspected of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity must be judged," they said. "They will be. France solemnly enrolls in the struggle against impunity. Only justice will allow everybody to turn the page, finally bringing out the truth."

That's not quite the American system where you have to be an American citizen to bring an action like this. It's better than the British system. On the other hand, given the explosion in the number of Muslims in Europe, it's only a matter of time before someone in just about every European country claims to be a relative of some poor splodeydope in Gaza and tries to sue Israel.

What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:49 PM