Victims and witnesses of international crimes : From the right to protection to a right to expression

31-03-2002 Article, International Review of the Red Cross, No. 845, by Luc Walleyn

 Abstract of the article "   Victimes et témoins de crimes internationaux : du droit à une protection au droit à la parole"    

    

Any international crime creates victims, often in a large number. Such victims may be asked to testify in court about what has happened: they become witnesses. This article examines the role that victims of international crimes currently play in international criminal proceedings and gives an account of the protection provided by international law to safeguard the rights of this especially vulnerable category of persons. Particular emphasis is placed on the jurisprudence of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda, respectively, and on the Draft Rules of Procedure and Evidence which will be applicable to proceedings before the International Criminal Court.