Introduction

In the fall of 2006, progressive humanity celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials, the anniversary of the trial of the main war criminals of the Second World War. However, coverage of this event in the media mass media was very pale, and only in February of this year a two-part program about one of the greatest trials XX century.

Why do these tribunals have a special role in modern history? Why do their establishments still influence international law? Why did the leaders of the victorious countries in the Second World War need to hold hundreds of court hearings, while no one would have condemned them for quick reprisals against the remaining fascist and militaristic criminals?

And today it is difficult to assess what trials befell the peoples Globe during the Second World War. Tens of millions of lost lives and crippled destinies, barbaric seizures of territories, merciless destruction of historical and cultural monuments - all this left an unhealed scar in the memory of decades.

As the Second World War drew to a close, questions grew about how war criminals fascist Germany and Japan (the main countries of the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo axis) will have to be punished. The main problem What remained was the procedure of bringing criminals to justice, since the context of events in the world suggested only one path - the execution of the perpetrators without any investigation or other formal procedures.

However, any historically important step must be taken only in strict accordance with legal norms. The trial of war criminals and their severe punishment is the turning point that separates aggressors from liberators, law and order from arbitrariness and outrage. The legal basis for bringing charges against criminals of the Axis countries and the Far East already existed - the Hague Conventions for the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes between States of 1899-1907; The Charter of the League of Nations, which contains a number of restrictions on resorting to war; Treaty of Paris 1928, which recognized the renunciation of war as a weapon national policy; and other international acts.

Having formulated the procedure for the creation of future judicial institutions and a clear regulated court procedure, governments Soviet Union, the USA, Great Britain and France have created an unprecedented precedent in international law - any person or organization guilty of committing a serious crime is subject to trial and fair punishment. These were the first full-scale trials of this kind.

International military tribunals. Definition

Tribunal. IN Ancient Rome a promotion in which high government officials (consuls, praetors) publicly considered court cases. Now in many countries these are courts of first and appellate instances.

Military tribunal - a court that tries military and other crimes

International military tribunals are judicial bodies established under special interstate agreements for the purpose of prosecuting and punishing persons who have committed serious crimes under international law in connection with and during war. They have limited jurisdiction (personal, territorial and hourly).

The composition, structure, jurisdiction and principles of operation are determined by their charters, which are attached international agreements and are their integral part.

The first such tribunal was established on the basis of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, for the trial of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. The trial did not take place because the government of Holland, where the Kaiser fled, refused to hand him over to the allies.

The International Military Tribunal was formed in 1943 at a meeting of the heads of government of the USSR, USA, and Great Britain. Consisted of 4 judges and their deputies and 4 chief military prosecutors appointed by the governments of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and France.

A member of the IMT from the USSR was appointed as a judge Supreme Court USSR I.T. Nikitchenko, the main prosecutor is the prosecutor of the Ukrainian SSR R.A. Rudenko.

In 1945 24 German war criminals, the direct organizers of all acts of military aggression, were transferred to the MVT. By the verdict of the IMT, rendered in 1946, all defendants, with the exception of Schacht, Papen and Fritsche, were found guilty of the charges and sentenced. 12 defendants were sentenced to death, 7 to prison: 3 to life imprisonment and 4 to 10 to 20 years. The defendant Bormann was sentenced to death in absentia, Robert Ley hanged himself in prison, Hitler and Himler (the head of the SS) were not betrayed by the IMT because they committed suicide before the trial.

Composition and structure

Nuremberg trials Tokyo tribunal

The Tribunal consists of 11 judges elected by the UNGA - 3 each in the two chambers of first instance and 5 in the appeal chamber; the latter are also members of the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal former Yugoslavia. The Prosecutor is a separate body of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and at the same time of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. It is responsible for investigating and prosecuting cases and acts independently of state governments

The tribunal procedure includes a preliminary investigation and examination of the case, filing of charges, trial with a decision or sentence. The punishment is imposed by the tribunal and is limited to imprisonment.

All UN member states are obliged to provide the tribunal with judicial assistance, including the extradition, if necessary, of wanted persons. The Tribunal is organically connected with clearly defined events, functions under certain circumstances and must cease its activities simultaneously with the completion of the investigation of the relevant facts

INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNALS

international bodies for the trial of persons (or also states) on charges of committing international crimes, the most important component mechanism of international criminal justice. After the Second World War, the following T.M. were created: a) the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, operating on the basis of the Charter of the International Military Tribunal of 1945:

b) International Military Tribunal for Far East- on the basis of the Charter approved by the Commanders-in-Chief of the Allied Powers in Japan in 1946;

c) International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, in The Hague - on the basis of the Charter adopted by the UN Security Council in 1993: d) International Criminal Tribunal to prosecute persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed on the territory of Rwanda, and Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other similar violations committed in the territory of neighboring States during the period from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1994 g., - on the basis of the Charter adopted in 1995 by the UN Security Council.

The statutes of the last two tribunals established that the jurisdiction of T.m. has priority over the jurisdiction of national courts. At any stage of the trial T.m. may formally request the national courts to transfer the proceedings to it in accordance with its statute and rules of procedure and evidence T.m.

The Tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda each consist of two Trial Chambers and one Appeals Chamber, a Prosecutor and a Registry. The Chambers consist of 11 independent judges (3 in the Trial Chambers and 5 in the Appeal Chamber), and they cannot contain 2 citizens of the same state. Persons of high moral character, impartiality and integrity are elected as judges,

who meet the requirements in their countries for appointment to senior judicial positions. In determining the overall composition of the chambers, due consideration shall be given to the experience of the judges in the field of criminal law, international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law. Judges T.m. elected by the UN General Assembly from a list submitted by the UN Security Council for a period of 4 years with the right of re-election. The conditions of service are the same as for judges of the International Court of Justice.

The penalty imposed by the Trial Chamber is limited to imprisonment. In determining the terms of imprisonment, the Trial Chamber is guided by the general practice of imposing prison sentences in the courts of Yugoslavia and Rwanda, respectively. In addition to imprisonment, the Trial Chamber may order the return of any property and proceeds acquired as a result of criminal conduct, including through coercion, to their rightful owners. -

The Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations of 1946 applies to T.m., their judges, prosecutors, secretaries and staff.

The working languages ​​of the Tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda are English and French.

Panov V.P.

Encyclopedia of Lawyer. 2005 .

See what "INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNALS" are in other dictionaries:

Legal dictionary

international tribunals- international bodies created to try individuals and states on charges of international crimes, the most important component of the mechanism of international criminal justice. IN different times The following T.M. have been created: 1)… … Large legal dictionary

INTERNATIONAL MILITARY TRIBUNALS- - the first international criminal courts in history, established on the basis of special international agreements to punish the main war criminals of the Second World War. After the end of the Second World War, for a fair and speedy trial... ... Soviet legal dictionary

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court- a state body that administers justice in the form of consideration and resolution of criminal, civil, administrative and some other categories of cases in the procedural order established by the law of a given state. S. are divided into ordinary and... ... Large legal dictionary

Court- a state body that administers justice in the form of consideration and resolution of criminal, civil, administrative and some other categories of cases in the procedural order established by the law of a given state. Courts are ordinary and... Accounting Encyclopedia

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tribunal- (lat. tribunal) 1) during the period French Revolution end of the 18th century exclusive courts for political crimes: 2) in the early years Soviet power special courts, revolutionary tribunals; 3) In the USSR and in the Russian Federation until 1992, military T. in... ... Large legal dictionary

International judicial mechanism and procedure created by the global community of states to consider criminal torts and crimes international character. In the doctrine, the idea of ​​M.u.p. began to be actively discussed in the 20th century, when, for investigation... Legal dictionary

An international judicial body to prosecute and punish major war criminals. M.v.t. for criminals European countries, who fought on the side of Nazi Germany, was formed on August 8, 1945 according to the London Agreement between... ... Legal dictionary

international judicial institutions created on the basis of international treaties or an act of the Security Council to try cases of international crimes (see Crimes against the peace and security of mankind). The First International Military Tribunal was created in accordance with the Agreement between the governments of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and France on August 8, 1945 to try the main German war criminals responsible for starting the Second World War and crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity (its idea creation was put forward in a statement by the USSR Government of October 14, 1942). At the same time, the Charter of the Tribunal was approved, defining its organization, jurisdiction and functions. It provided that the International Tribunal consist of four members and their alternates (one member and one alternate from each country party to the Agreement). Each state appointed its own chief prosecutor (as well as relevant personnel). Certain procedural guarantees were provided for defendants, incl. allocation of defenders. In accordance with the Charter, the Tribunal had the right to sentence the perpetrator to death or any other punishment it considered just. The verdict of the Military Tribunal was considered final and not subject to revision. The Charter also defined the elements of international crimes: against peace, war crimes, against humanity, and resolved other substantive and legal issues (responsibility for complicity in the commission of international crimes, the inadmissibility of citing the order of a superior as a basis for excluding responsibility for the crime committed, etc.). The Tribunal met in Nuremberg from November 20, 1945 - October 1, 1946. 24 senior government and military leaders of Nazi Germany were put on trial. 12 of them were sentenced to death, the rest to life or long-term imprisonment. In the resolution General Assembly The UN of December 11, 1946 confirmed the principles of international law enshrined in the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and its verdict. The Second International Military Tribunal (Tokyo) was created to try major Japanese war criminals. Its legal basis was also formulated in the Statute of this Tribunal. The Tribunal included representatives of 11 states - the USSR, USA, China, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and the Philippines. The Tokyo Tribunal had only one chief prosecutor (appointed by the commander-in-chief of the occupation forces in Japan - a representative of the United States), and other participating states appointed additional prosecutors. The Tokyo Tribunal met from May 3, 1946 - November 12, 1948 and ended with a guilty verdict (7 criminals were sentenced to death). The possibility of creating new international judicial institutions has been recorded in a number of International conventions, for example, on responsibility for genocide, as well as in special resolutions of the UN Security Council. Thus, by resolution No. 827 of May 25, 1993, the International Tribunal was created to prosecute those responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The same resolution approved the Charter of the International Tribunal, which defined the jurisdiction, elements of cognizable international crimes, principles of organization and activity (including procedures of evidence, trial), the rights of the accused, penalties, procedures for reviewing a court decision, execution of a sentence, pardon or a reduced sentence. The Tribunal included 11 independent judges elected by the UN General Assembly for 4 years from a list submitted by the Security Council, a prosecutor (appointed by the Security Council on the recommendation Secretary General UN), and a Secretariat serving both the chambers and the prosecutor. The Tribunal has two trial chambers (three judges each) and an appeal chamber (five judges). The penalty is imposed by the Trial Chamber and is limited to imprisonment, the terms of which are determined on the basis of the general practice of imposing prison sentences in the courts of the former Yugoslavia. The imprisonment is served in a state determined by the International Tribunal on the basis of a list of states that have declared to the Security Council their readiness to accept convicted persons, in accordance with the legislation of the relevant state, under the supervision of the International Tribunal. By Resolution No. 955 of 8 November 1994, the Security Council established the International Criminal Tribunal to prosecute persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed on the territory of Rwanda between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994, and adopted the Charter of this International Tribunal. The jurisdiction, principles of organization and operation of the International Tribunal for Rwanda are similar to those established for the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia. In 1998, the Statute of the International Criminal Court was adopted. He became permanent judicial authority, designed to administer justice to persons who have committed crimes against humanity, war crimes, etc. L.V. Naumov

Modern international criminal law, presuming the predominant use of national judicial and other bodies in the fight against international crimes and crimes of an international nature, provides for the possibility of creating international institutions to carry out judicial functions in special situations. Such institutions are constituted and function on the basis of international treaties or, as practice shows, on the basis of an act of the UN Security Council.

History knows of two judicial bodies that fulfilled their tasks, called International Military Tribunals. They operated immediately after the end of the Second World War.

The first, in accordance with the Agreement between the governments of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and France of August 8, 1945, was the formation of the International Military Tribunal, designed to perform judicial functions in relation to the state and military leaders of Nazi Germany. Issues of its organization, jurisdiction and competence were resolved in the Charter of the International Military Tribunal, annexed to the Agreement.

The Tribunal consisted of four members and four alternates, one from each of the named states. Each State also appointed its own Chief Prosecutor and related personnel. The chief prosecutors, acting as a committee, carried out their duties both individually and in cooperation with each other. Procedural guarantees were provided for defendants, including the provision of defense lawyers.

The Tribunal, according to the Charter, was endowed with the right to try and punish persons who committed actions entailing individual responsibility: crimes against peace (planning, preparation, initiation and waging of aggressive war or war in violation of international treaties), war crimes (actions that violate law or customs wars), crimes against humanity, murders (extermination, enslavement, exile and other atrocities against civilian population).

The Tribunal was created with a focus on an indefinite number of trials. Berlin was appointed its permanent location, where the first organizational meeting took place on October 9, 1945. In practice, its activities were limited to Nuremberg trials, held in the period from November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946. The procedure for meetings and proceedings was fixed in the Charter and in the regulations. The death penalty or other punishment was provided as a sanction for those found guilty. The verdict of the Tribunal was considered final, was not subject to revision and was carried out according to the order of the Control Council in Germany - the only body competent to change the sentence and consider the petitions of convicted persons for clemency. The sentence against those sentenced to death, after the rejection of the petition for clemency, was carried out on the night of October 16, 1946."

On December 11, 1946, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution confirming the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and its verdict.

The Second International Military Tribunal was intended to try the main Japanese criminals and was called the Tokyo Tribunal. His legal basis There was also a Charter adopted specifically for it by a group of states.

This Tribunal included representatives of 11 states - the USSR, USA, China, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and the Philippines. There was only one chief prosecutor, appointed by the commander-in-chief of the occupation forces in Japan (a US representative); all other states represented in the tribunal appointed additional prosecutors. The Tokyo trial took place from May 3, 1946 to November 12, 1948 and resulted in a guilty verdict.

The potential for the creation of new international judicial institutions was recorded in the conventions on such international crimes as genocide and apartheid. So, according to Art. VI Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, persons accused of having committed genocide “shall be tried by a competent court of the State in whose territory the act was committed or by such international criminal court as may have jurisdiction over the parties to this Convention who have accepted the jurisdiction of such a court."

There are various academic proposals and official projects for the formation of a permanent International Criminal Court to try and prosecute persons guilty of crimes against international law. Unlike previous and existing tribunals, it should not be limited by time and space.

IN recent years The problem of exercising criminal jurisdiction at the interstate level was actively addressed by the UN International Law Commission, to which this issue was raised by the UN General Assembly back in 1948. On behalf of the Commission, recommendations were prepared regarding the establishment of such a court on the basis of a multilateral treaty in the form of a Charter (statute). The court is supposed to be a judicial body in relation to individuals, and not states (however, in the future it is possible to extend its competence to states). The jurisdiction of the court must cover crimes defined in the Code of Crimes against the Peace and Security of Mankind, and other similar acts classified as “international and transnational” (obviously, this also means crimes of an international nature), and, therefore, must be connected with the relevant international conventions.

Some experts consider the prevailing point of view according to which the jurisdiction of the Court should be limited to such acts as aggression, genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, which are collectively called crimes under general international law.

It was considered the only acceptable inclusion in the Charter of precise wording regarding the crimes to be tried and the punishments imposed by the Court for each crime. The main penalties should be life imprisonment or imprisonment for a specified period. The subject of discussion remains the question of the possibility of using the death penalty.

The proposed structure of the Court: chairman, deputies, presidium, performing both judicial and administrative functions. Direct consideration of cases and the issuance of sentences are carried out by the judicial chambers, as well as the appellate chamber. An independent prosecutor's office must be in contact with the Court. Two options for its activities are discussed: 1) an independent investigation conducted in the relevant states on behalf of the international Community; 2) investigation through national competent authorities within the framework of cooperation. Provision is made for compliance with procedural guarantees within the limits of at least Art. 14 and 15 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

UN Security Council Resolution 827 of May 25, 1993 regarding the establishment of an International Tribunal for the purpose of prosecuting those responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, where a tragic armed conflict broke out for the peoples, can be considered unique in its nature. At the same time, the Charter (Statute) of the tribunal was approved*.

* UN Document S/25704.

The statute defines the tribunal's jurisdiction over persons who commit serious violations of the rules of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and other norms, including acts such as willful murder or infliction of great suffering, torture and inhuman treatment, taking civilians as hostages or their unlawful deportation , the use of weapons intended to cause unnecessary suffering, genocide, etc.

The Tribunal consists of 11 independent judges nominated by states and elected by the UN General Assembly for 4 years from a list submitted by the Security Council, and also includes a prosecutor appointed by the Security Council on the recommendation of the UN Secretary-General. In May 1997, the UN General Assembly elected a new composition of judges of the International Tribunal. They were representatives of Great Britain, Italy, France, Portugal, USA, China, Malaysia, Egypt, Zambia. Colombia, Guyana. The Tribunal consists of two trial chambers (three judges each) and an appeal chamber (five judges). Location - The Hague.

The Charter articulates the powers of the prosecutor to investigate and draw up an indictment, stipulates the rights of the suspect, including the services of a lawyer, and the rights of the accused during the trial (in accordance with the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights). The procedure for trial and the procedure for sentencing and imposing prison sentences are regulated, the terms of which are established taking into account the sentencing practice in the courts of the former Yugoslavia. Trial chambers according to Art. 20 of the Charter ensure a fair and expeditious trial and the implementation of legal proceedings in accordance with the rules of procedure and evidence, with full respect for the rights of the accused and proper protection of victims and witnesses. The person against whom the indictment has been confirmed is taken into custody and informed of charges brought against him and is sent to the seat of the Tribunal. In Art. 21 establishes the rights of the accused, including to a fair and public hearing of the case, to defend himself personally or through a lawyer of his own choosing, to use the free assistance of an interpreter and to other procedural guarantees. The prison sentence is served in a state determined by the Tribunal from the list of states that have declared their readiness to accept convicted persons; in this case, the legislation of the relevant state is applied under the supervision of the Tribunal. The first verdicts of the Tribunal are already known.

In 1994, also in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution, the International Tribunal for Rwanda was created to prosecute those responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law during the inter-ethnic conflict in Rwanda. The provisions of the Statute of this Tribunal are essentially the same as those stated above.

Literature

Blishchenko I. P., Fisenko I. V. International Criminal Court. M., 1994.

Vereshchetin V.S. International Criminal Court: new prospects? // Moscow Journal of International Law. 1993. No. 2 (continued - 1994. No. 1, 4).

Cleandrov M. I. Economic Court of the CIS: status, problems, prospects. Tyumen, 1995.

Kozhevnikov F. I., Sharmazanashvili G. V. International Court of Justice. Organization, goals, practice. M., 1971.

Kolodkin R. A., Panin I. A. Discussion of the draft Charter of the International Criminal Court in the Special Committee of the UN General Assembly // Moscow Journal of International Law. 1996. No. 4.

Lazarev S. L. International arbitration. M., 1991.

Fisenko I. V. Practice of the Economic Court of the Commonwealth Independent States// Moscow Journal of International Law. 1997. No. 3.

Shinkaretskaya G. G. International judicial procedure. M., 1992.

Entin M. L. International judicial institutions. The role of international arbitration and judicial bodies in resolving interstate disputes. M., 1994.

An international tribunal is a body created to try persons accused of committing international crimes. The Tribunal does not function on a permanent basis; it is established to consider cases combined common features(for example, crimes committed on certain territory). An authority is created if crimes are widespread, and the state where they are committed is unable to protect citizens. Required for establishment international treaty or a UN Security Council resolution. The UN Charter does not directly provide for the right of the UN Security Council to create tribunals. According to Article 29 of the Charter, the Security Council may establish such subsidiary organs as it finds necessary for the performance of its functions.

In addition to the International Court of Justice, which is the main judicial organ of the UN, there are a number of international courts and tribunals associated with the UN to varying degrees.

International Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda

UNSCR 827 (1993) established the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which focuses on prosecuting and putting on trial senior leaders suspected of crimes committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia since 1991. These include violations of laws and customs of war, genocide and crimes against humanity. ICTY headquarters in The Hague (Netherlands). The work of the ICTY is not yet over; to date, charges have been brought against 161 people, and trials have been completed for 147 of them.

The International Tribunal for Rwanda (ITR) was created based on UNSC resolutions 955 (1994) and 977 (1995). The reason for its establishment was the events that occurred in the country in 1994 against the background civil war- Radical representatives of the Hutu tribe killed about 1 million Tutsis and Hutus. ITP prosecutes those responsible for genocide and other violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda and neighboring countries by Rwandan citizens in 1994. ITP is headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania. The work is due to be completed by the end of 2015. The Tribunal has examined 93 cases against senior officials and officers, large entrepreneurs, religious and community leaders. 61 of them were convicted.

Khmer Rouge Tribunal

The Khmer Rouge Tribunal is an international-national court created by the UN and the Cambodian government. His official name- Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia to prosecute crimes committed during the period of Democratic Kampuchea.

The jurisdiction of the chambers extends to crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, as well as other crimes (murder, torture and persecution for religious beliefs) committed from April 17, 1975 to January 6, 1979. During this period, when the country was ruled by the Reds Khmers" (the extremist wing of the Cambodian Communist Party led by Pol Pot), from 1.7 million to 2.75 million people were killed, died of hunger, disease and hard labor.

The Tribunal was established by an agreement concluded by the UN and the Government of Cambodia on June 6, 2003 (ratified by the Cambodian Parliament in 2004, entered into force in 2005). It included both Cambodian and foreign judges. Phnom Penh was chosen as the seat of the tribunal. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment. The judges began work in the spring of 2009.

By this time, five Khmer Rouge leaders remained alive. They were charged with genocide, human rights violations and war crimes. The main ideologist of the movement, Nuon Chea, the President of Democratic Kampuchea, Khieu Samphan, and the head of the S-21 prison, Kang Kiek Ieu, were sentenced to life imprisonment. Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs Ieng Sary did not live to see the verdict (he died in March 2013). His wife Ieng Thirith, who headed the ministry social security, was declared incompetent.

In addition to these main defendants, the tribunal was investigating a number of lower-level Khmer Rouge leaders - the leaders of the labor camps and the commanders responsible for the arrest and transportation of prisoners (their names were not disclosed). However, none of them were arrested, and therefore the Cambodian government was accused of being unwilling to cooperate with the UN in bringing all those responsible to justice. According to the current Prime Minister of the country, Hun Sen, new arrests could negatively affect the internal political situation in the country.

Given the time required to consider appeals, the tribunal is expected to complete its work at the end of 2018.

Special Tribunals for Sierra Leone and Lebanon

According to UN Security Council resolution 1315 (2000) in 2004-2013. There was a Special Court (Tribunal) for Sierra Leone, which prosecuted persons responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and the laws of the country committed on its territory after November 30, 1996 during the civil war. The headquarters was located in the capital, Freetown. In 2012, former President Charles Taylor, convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity, was sentenced to 50 years in prison. In 2013, the tribunal fulfilled its mandate and completed its work.

In accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1757 (2007), the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) operates. Its purpose is to prosecute those responsible for the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and others on February 14, 2005. The tribunal also has jurisdiction over those accused of “other crimes in Lebanon committed from October 1, 2004 to December 12, 2005 or during any subsequent period determined by the UN and Lebanon with the consent of the Security Council.” Headquarters in The Hague (Netherlands). In January 2015, the term of office was extended until March 2018. In January 2014, the trial of the five accused began. Since no one was detained under the international warrants issued by the tribunal for their arrest, the hearings are being held in absentia.

The ICTY, ICTR and STL are subsidiary organs of the UNSC.

International Criminal Court

In 2002, the International Criminal Court (ICC) began its work, established on the basis of the Rome Statute, adopted at a conference of plenipotentiaries under the auspices of the UN in July 1998 in Rome. This is the first permanent international body criminal justice, which is competent to prosecute those responsible for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression. This is an independent structure associated with the UN by a special cooperation agreement. The ICC can initiate cases upon submission by the UN Security Council.

Establishment of the International Piracy Tribunal

In May 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev launched an initiative to prosecute pirates, including the possible creation of an International Piracy Tribunal. Since 2010, the UN Security Council has adopted several resolutions calling for continued consideration of this issue.