Rape and The President: The remarkable trial and (partial) acquittal of Hissène Habré

Abstract

O n May 30, 2016, the Extraordinary African Chambers in the courts of Senegal issued its historic conviction of Hissène Habré, the former president of Chad. In handing Habré a life sentence for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of torture committed in Chad from 1982 to 1990, the trial chamber delivered the most important milestone in international criminal justice in years. It was a victory for universal jurisdiction, the principle by which a state can prosecute a person FI D H /G A EL G RI LH O T RAPE AND THE PRESIDENT: THE REMARKABLE TRIAL AND (PARTIAL) ACQUITTAL OF HISSÈNE HABRÉ