
Trial observer sent to Addis Ababa
The ICJ has been informed by the Ethiopian Minister of Justice that an open trial of those charged with complicity in the abortive coup of December, 1960, was to begin on Monday, February 27, 1961, in Addis Ababa.
The ICJ has been informed by the Ethiopian Minister of Justice that an open trial of those charged with complicity in the abortive coup of December, 1960, was to begin on Monday, February 27, 1961, in Addis Ababa.
La Commission Internationale de Juristes a adressé le 15 février 1961 au président Moïse Tshombé le télégramme suivant, à la suite de la mort de MM. Lumumba, N’Polo et Okito:
“C0mmission Internationale de Juristes representant 39000 advocats magistrats et professeurs de droit dans 62 pays du monde profondement emue par circonstances de la mort Patrice Lumumba et deux autres personalites politique sur territoire Katangais estime indispensable investigation approfondie suivant formes judiciaires par Comite International enquete hautement qualifie et impartial stop Commission International de Juristes prie votre Excllence examiner urgence la possibilite donner suite presente demande.
Jean-Flavien Lalive
Secretaire General”
La Commission a en même temps adressé deux autres télégrammes: l’un à M. Joseph Kasavubu, president de la République du Congo, pour le prier d’appuyer cette demande, l’autre à M. Dag Hammarskjöld, secrétaire général des Nations Unies, pour l’informer de cette démarche.
On February 15, 1961, the ICJ sent the following telegram to President Moise Tshombe concerning the death of Messrs. Lumumba, M’polo and Okito.
“The International Commission of Jurists representing 39,000 lawyers judges and professors of law in 62 countries of the world deeply concerned by the circumstances of the death of Patrice Lumumba and two other political figures in Katanga territory considers essential thorough investigation of legal nature by highly qualified and impartial international committee STOP Commission of Jurists requests your Excellency to consider immediately the possibility of carrying out this request
Jean-Flavien Lalive
Secretary-General”
At the same time the International Commission of Jurists sent two other telegrams: one to the President of the Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kasavubu, to ask for his support of its request, the other to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, D. Hammarskjöld, to inform him of these steps.
The Ford Foundation and the Federal Government of Nigeria have made grants to the ICJ for its African Conference on the Rule of Law to be held in Lagos, Nigeria, from January 3 to 7, 1961.
The ICJ released today a detailed Report on South Africa and the Rule of Law.