Conakry, Paris, 28 February, 2023. Five months after the opening of the trial on the events of 28 September 2009, the trial is in full swing. Since 14 February, the floor has been given to the victims as civil parties. This essential step in their quest for justice must take place in accordance with the rules of procedure observed to date. The safety, accessibility and inclusion of victims all remain a major issue in this trial.
After more than forty hearings held, the trial of the massacre of September 28, 2009 and the events of the days that followed continues in the courthouse of the criminal court of Dixinn in Conakry.
– The first phase of hearing of the eleven accused referred to this criminal court ended on Monday 13 February, 2023. Their hearings and interrogations lasted more than 4 months.
– The hearing phase of victims began on 14 February and five victims have been interviewed in February. The first hearing was held in public, while the next four were held behind closed doors, at the request of the victims, through their lawyers. At the bar, the victims recount in detail the sequence of events that occurred at the Conakry stadium on 28 September, 2009 and the following days, when their lives were turned upside down.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Guinean Organization for the Defense of Human and Citizens’ Rights (OGDH) and the Association of Victims, Relatives and Friends of 28 September 2009 (AVIPA), acting as civil parties to the trial, continue their mobilisation alongside more than 600 victims they have been accompanying for nearly thirteen years.
« A new stage is underway in the conduct of this emblematic and historic trial for the fight against impunity for serious crimes in Guinea, but also internationally, »
Alice Mogwe, FIDH President
« To meet this challenge, Guinean judicial authorities must ensure that the trial takes place in accordance with international rules and standards,” added Alice Mogwe. For Asmaou Diallo, President of AVIPA “The victims are present, determined to testify and work for the manifestation of the truth”,
«Despite the long wait, despite the deterioration of their health, despite the economic and social difficulties they face every day, they are there, in the name of justice, and intend to participate in this decisive stage of the trial. »
Asmaou Diallo, AVIPA
« Guinea’s international partners already mobilised on the September 28 case must double their efforts to support national courts throughout the trial, », said Souleymane Bah, OGDH President.
« We call in particular on the European Union, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Criminal Court and the African Union to step up their actions in order to monitor the progress of the trial as closely as possible and to support its smooth running.»
Souleymane Bah, OGDH President
The three civil party organizations reiterate their call for special measures to be taken, in consultation with the victims, their lawyers and civil society, to guarantee the safety and well-being of the civil parties, the majority of whom are in a state of vulnerability. These provisions must ensure their effective participation and the calm conduct of proceedings throughout the trial.
Source link : https://www.fidh.org/en/region/Africa/guinea-conakry/guinea-victims-testimony-at-the-28-september-2009-massacre-trial
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Publish date : 2023-03-01 08:00:00
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