REPORT ON TRIALS IN PILOT GACACA COURTS
Genocide-related trials started on 10 March 2005 in Gacaca Courts. Only then concerned were Gacaca Courts of the pilot phase, including those of the 12 Sectors which had started collecting data from 19 June 2002 and 106 others which started the same exercise as of 25 November 2002.
The accused were persons whom Gacaca Courts of Cell had classified in the second category in accordance with the provisions of Article 51 of Organic Law nº16/2004 of June 19, 2004 determining the organisation, functioning and competence of Gacaca Courts.
The figures appearing in this Report deal with the trials which took place until July 14, 2006, that is on the eve of the commencement of trials in all Gacaca Courts throughout the country.
However, it should be noted that this does not mean that each Gacaca Court of the pilot phase had tried the last case brought before it at that precise date, for trials have continued thereafter. The aim of this report is to show how far trials had gone at the time when all people’s attention was to be focused on trials conducted across the whole country.
This report describes the tremendous work performed by Gacaca Courts of Cell which consisted in collecting information on how genocide was actually perpetrated and its perpetrators in order to prepare their judicial files and classify them into different categories before handing them over to competent courts of law.
This report also shows the work done by either Gacaca Courts of Sector or Gacaca Courts of Appeal according to their respective jurisdictions.
We should like to express our sincere gratitude to all public institutions, non governmental organizations and each and every person whose highly commendable efforts have helped Gacaca Courts to move forward.
- REPORT ON TRIALS IN PILOT GACACA COURTS [PDF]