International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

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International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

Also known as: ICTR, International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994(Show More)

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July 16, 2026

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The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was established by the United Nations in November 1994 to prosecute individuals responsible for the genocide in Rwanda and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda between January 1 and December 31, 1994. The ICTR was located in Arusha, Tanzania, and unlike earlier tribunals, it could only impose prison sentences, not capital punishment. Its statute defined war crimes broadly, including murder, torture, deportation, enslavement, and notably, recognized rape and sexual violence as genocidal acts when committed with the intent to destroy a group. The tribunal's jurisdiction was limited to Rwandan leaders, with lower-level defendants to be tried in domestic courts. The ICTR completed its last trial in 2012 and closed in 2015, having indicted 93 suspects and found 62 guilty.12

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Rwanda genocide of 1994
ICTR
In November 1994 the UN responded to charges of genocide in Rwanda by creating the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR; formally known as the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law…
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In November 1994 the UN responded to charges of genocide in Rwanda by creating the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR; formally known as the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law…
Read More

genocide
Recent developments
…Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), both of which contributed to the clarification of the material elements of the offense of genocide as well as of the criteria establishing individual criminal responsibility for its commission. The Rwandan tribunal, for example, stated that genocide included “subjecting…
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…Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), both of which contributed to the clarification of the material elements of the offense of genocide as well as of the criteria establishing individual criminal responsibility for its commission. The Rwandan tribunal, for example, stated that genocide included “subjecting…
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Loretta Lynch
…to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In 2010 Pres. Barack Obama chose her to resume her former job as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
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…to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In 2010 Pres. Barack Obama chose her to resume her former job as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
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rape
Rape as a weapon of war
…in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda both included rape, making these tribunals among the first international bodies to prosecute sexual violence as a war crime. In a landmark case in 1998, the Rwandan tribunal ruled that “rape and sexual violence constitute genocide.” The International Criminal Court, established in 1998, subsequently…
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…in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda both included rape, making these tribunals among the first international bodies to prosecute sexual violence as a war crime. In a landmark case in 1998, the Rwandan tribunal ruled that “rape and sexual violence constitute genocide.” The International Criminal Court, established in 1998, subsequently…
Read More

Rwanda
Genocide and aftermath
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), established by the United Nations Security Council to try the tens of thousands (mostly Hutu) who had committed acts of genocide in 1994, began trying its first cases in 1995. The tremendous number of people to be tried resulted…
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The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), established by the United Nations Security Council to try the tens of thousands (mostly Hutu) who had committed acts of genocide in 1994, began trying its first cases in 1995. The tremendous number of people to be tried resulted…
Read More

war crime
Rwanda and Yugoslavia war crimes tribunals
…ICTR, formally known as the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January…
Read More
…ICTR, formally known as the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January…
Read More