Judge Bakhtiyar Tuzmukhamedov, from the Russian Federation, was today sworn in as judge of the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The ceremony was carried out by the President of the Tribunal Judge Charles Dennis Byron and witnessed by the Registrar, Mr. Adama Dieng, representing the United Nations Secretary General.

Prior to joining the ICTR Judge Tuzmukhamedov (54) was Counsellor of the Court, Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation from 1992 as well as being Professor of International Law at the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow of the Russian Foreign Ministry since 1984. Before that, from 1977 to 1984, he was a Research Fellow, at the Law of Sea Division, Institute of Merchant Marine.

Judge Tuzmukhamedov has held several high profile positions in professional associations including being Vice-President of the Russian Association of International Law, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Moscow Journal of International Law and Member of the Editorial Board, International Review of the Red Cross. The Judge also has extensive experience with international organisations including being adviser of his country’s delegations to the UN Special Committee on the Indian Ocean, as well as Civil Affairs Officer with the UN Peace Forces in the former Yugoslavia.

In addition, Judge Tuzmukhamedov, is credited with several publications in international law that appeared in his home country and elsewhere. The Judge is a graduate of Moscow State Institute of International Relations where he received basic legal education and was in 1983 conferred a degree of the Candidate of Juridical Science (S.J.D. - equated). In 1994 he received an LL.M degree from Harvard Law School.