During his visit to the Tribunal yesterday, the Ambassador of Italy to Tanzania, H.E. Marcello Griccioli, announced the ratification by the Italian parliament of the Agreement on the enforcement of sentences imposed by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

The Agreement was signed in Rome on March 17th 2004 by H.E. Alfredo Mantica, Under Secretary of State, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Italy, and by M. Adama Dieng, Assistant Secretary-general and Registrar of the ICTR on behalf of the United Nations.

Pursuant to Article 26 of the Statute of the Tribunal, « imprisonment shall be served in Rwanda or in any other of the states on a list of states which have indicated to the Security Council their willingness to accept convicted persons as designated by the ICTR. Such imprisonment shall be in accordance with the applicable law of the State concerned, subject to the supervision of the ICTR ».

This ratification takes place at a time when the Tribunal is resolutely engaged in the implementation of its Completion Strategy. The end of the Tribunal’s mandate is planned for 2008 for proceedings before Trial Chambers and 2010 for appeals.

Upon learning the news, Mr. Dieng thanked H.E. Ambassador Marcello Griccioli and added that « the Tribunal could only rejoice at this ratification which comes just when needed, and which gives the Tribunal a new option in the choice of countries in which imprisonment can be served”.

Italy is, after France, the second European country to have its Parliament approve an agreement on the enforcement of sentences with the ICTR. In view of the provisions of its Constitution, Sweden, the third European country to have signed a similar agreement with the ICTR, did not have to resort to ratification by its Parliament.