Judge Vagn Joensen says there are many factors that complicate bringing the people responsible for war crimes to justice. But the man who presided over the International War Crimes Tribunal for Rwandan genocide says the trials can contribute to reconciliation.
Judge Joensen spoke with WMUK’s Gordon Evans in September. He was at Western Michigan University to deliver the Political Science Department’s annual George Klein Lecture.
Joensen says the trials are expensive and it’s a struggle to bring people to trial while they’re still in power. He says without a conviction of top officials, it’s difficult to prosecute offenders at lower levels. Joensen says focusing on the main leaders of war crimes hopefully sends a message to others that those actions won’t be tolerated.
The guilty verdicts for Rwandan leaders were important, according to Joensen because is marked the first international court convictions for genocide. He says it helped bring more awareness to genocide in other countries. Joensen says war crimes trials don’t create peace and stability, but they can contribute to it.
