15 December 2004
Iraqi War Crimes Tribunal Will Begin Soon, Prime Minister Says
Proceedings expected to be an "open process," U.S. State Department says
Ayad Allawi, Iraq's interim prime minister, announced on December 14 that a special war crimes tribunal to try Iraqis suspected of committing war crimes during Saddam Hussein's regime will begin this month. "With confidence, we can say that next week the trials of these individuals will start and the people's justice will be served," he said.
The tribunals are being run by Iraqis, with some financial and legal assistance from the international community, said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. He added that even though efforts by the Iraqi government to compile evidence against suspects have not been widely publicized, the special war crimes tribunals are now moving into a phase where the public will become more informed of the proceedings against suspects.
"This is an Iraqi court, run by Iraqi judges, and they will move through those stages and set the timetable for the court proceedings." Boucher said. "We do expect it to be an open process [and] it will be more and more visible to the general public."
Following is an excerpt from the December 14 State Department briefing:
(begin transcript)
Daily State Department Press Briefing
Richard Boucher, Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 14, 2004
MR. BOUCHER: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I don't have any statements or announcements, so I'd be glad to take your questions. Mr. Schweid. QUESTION: Well, could you tell us what you think of the likely beginning of trials next week in Iraq of Baathists and other enemies of the government?
MR. BOUCHER: Let me try to explain exactly where we understand the core process is.
QUESTION: Okay.
MR. BOUCHER: Always with the proviso that this process is in the hands of the Iraqis.
QUESTION: Absolutely.
MR. BOUCHER: The Iraqi Special Tribunal will proceed as it prepares cases and moves forward. I think I discussed this a bit yesterday and said that their effort so far in compiling data, databases, evidence and things like that had been, you might say, largely behind the scenes. They were moving into more and more visible areas.
There is a court process that involves investigative judges and a hearing for some of the former regime officials that is under preparation that we would expect to be held next week. At that point, the accused and their attorneys do go to court, although that's not the actual trial.
Each trial process takes time and consists of several stages. This is an Iraqi court, run by Iraqi judges, and they will move through those stages and set the timetable for the court proceedings. We do expect it to be an open process. It will be more and more visible to the general public. We'll see hearings, we'll see legal motions, and we'll see a prosecution conducted by the Iraqis.
They are supported, with some assistance from the international community, as they prepare for trials and develop the structures of the court. And we and other partners are continuing to help them in that regard.
QUESTION: Assistance meaning financial assistance?
MR. BOUCHER: Assistance -- We've done some training. We've done some legal advice. They've -- in their statute, as you know, they can use experts from around the world in order to prepare these things.
QUESTION: Is the U.S. providing them with any legal material, with anything to help make a case? And what about Saddam Hussein? Does he remain under --
MR. BOUCHER: Well, I think it applies to all the detainees. I don't know the exact status of Saddam Hussein, but they are being brought into an Iraqi process of prosecution. We have provided legal advice, financial support, but also things like the forensics on the mass graves that have been uncovered, the evidence that has been amassed over the really decades of collection of these information about the crimes of the former regime.
We've done some training, as I've said. So we have helped in a variety of ways. So they are now moving forward with their process for them to decide how to proceed and how to put on trial the people who put the -- who committed these crimes against the Iraqi people.
QUESTION: Just to follow up. Will people like Tariq Aziz and others be accused of genocide or crimes against humanity?
MR. BOUCHER: That will be something for the Iraqi courts and the Iraqi prosecutors to decide.
QUESTION: But you don't have any idea of what are the charges against these particular people?
MR. BOUCHER: That will be something for the Iraqis to decide.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=December&x=20041215165740maduobbA0.3944971&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
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