ADC-ICT MOURNS THE PASSING OF MR PROTAIS ZIGIRANYIRAZO AND CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION ON THE STATUS OF ACQUITTED PERSONS AND RELEASED PERSONS

The Association of Defence Counsel practising before the International Courts and Tribunals (ADC-ICT) expresses its deep condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr Protais Zigiranyirazo, who passed away last week in Niger.

Mr Zigiranyirazo was acquitted of all charges by the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in 2009. Despite this clear judicial finding, he never regained his liberty. He had been effectively held under house arrest in Niger for nearly four years following his transfer from Tanzania, a situation the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) and the international community failed to remedy.

Of the eight original ICTR acquitted or released individuals transferred to Niger in 2021, three have now died under such restrictive circumstances.

The status of acquitted persons and those who have served their sentences remains one of the most pressing and unresolved issues facing the international justice system. Continued restrictions on liberty after acquittal, or after the completion of a sentence, not only violate fundamental human rights but also undermine the credibility of the very institutions mandated to uphold justice.

The ADC-ICT renews its call on the international community to take urgent and concrete measures to ensure that acquitted persons and those who have completed their sentences are able to enjoy the full freedom to which they are entitled.