Domestic application of international criminal law
Republic of the Congo
Domestic
LegislationJudicial Decisions Peace Accords Resources and
Links
Crimes Crime of Aggression
No provision.
Crimes Against Humanity
Crimes against humanity are defined in Article 6 of the Law 8/98 of 31 October 1998 on the Definition and Repression of Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity. See:
Loi 8-98 du 31 octobre 1998 portant définition et répression du génocide, des crimes de guerre et des crimes contre l’humanité. (Law 8/98 of 31 October 1998 on the Definition and Repression of Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity). Brazzaville, 31 octobre 1998. [FRA] Genocide
Genocide is defined in Article 1 of the Law 8/98 of 31 October 1998 on the Definition and Repression of Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity. See:
Loi 8-98 du 31 octobre 1998 portant définition et répression du génocide, des crimes de guerre et des crimes contre l’humanité. (Law 8/98 of 31 October 1998 on the Definition and Repression of Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity). Brazzaville, 31 octobre 1998. [FRA] War Crimes
War crimes are defined in Article 4 of the Law 8/98 of 31 October 1998 on the Definition and Repression of Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity. See:
Loi 8-98 du 31 octobre 1998 portant définition et répression du génocide, des crimes de guerre et des crimes contre l’humanité. (Law 8/98 of 31 October 1998 on the Definition and Repression of Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity). Brazzaville, 31 octobre 1998. [FRA]
Amnesty Legislation:
Loi 21-99 portant amnistie des faits de guerre découlant des guerres civiles 1993-1994, 1997 et 1998-1999. (Law 21/99 on Amnesty for war crimes committed during the civil wars of 1993-1994, 1997 and 1998-1999). Brazzaville, 20 décembre 1999. [FRA]
Jurisdiction Title IX, Articles 610-617, of the Code of Criminal Procedure (1963) of the Republic of the Congo concerns "Crimes and Offences Committed Abroad". More particularly, Article 611 states:
"Anyone who, in the territory of the Republic, has been an accomplice of a crime or offense committed abroad may be prosecuted and tried by the Congolese courts if the act involved is punished by both foreign and Congolese law, provided that the act was qualified as a crime or offense by a final decision of the foreign jurisdiction." [See full text of the Code of Criminal Procedure under the Resources and Links section below.]
Common provisions to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes:
Article 13 of the Law 8/98 on the Definition and Repression of Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity provides that obedience to a legitimate authority (superior orders) cannot be invoked as a justification for the commission of these crimes, although this circumstance may be taken into account in determining the sentence and its duration.
The non-applicability of statutory limitations for these crimes is provided for under Article 14 of the 8/98 Law. Additionally, Article 15 states that the provisions of this law are applicable even to crimes committed before its promulgation.
See:
Loi 8-98 du 31 octobre 1998 portant définition et répression du génocide, des crimes de guerre et des crimes contre l’humanité. (Law 8/98 of 31 October 1998 on the Definition and Repression of Genocide, War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity). Brazzaville, 31 octobre 1998. [FRA]
International Criminal Court
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court: The Republic of the Congo signed the Rome Statute on 17 July 1998 and deposited its instrument of ratification on 03 May 2004.
Décision de la Cour Constitutionnelle sur plusieurs articles de la loi n° 8-98 du 31 octobre 1998 portant définition et répression du génocide, des crimes de guerre et des crimes contre l'humanité.
Journal officiel de la République du Congo, 59e Année - N° 4, 26 janvier 2017. [FRA]
This decision of the Constitutional Court deals with the constitutionality of certain articles of the 8/98 Law on the definition and repression of crimes against humanity following the abolition of the death penalty by the 2015 Constitution (Article 8 alinéa 4).
Avis émis par la Cour Suprême sur le Projet de loi portant définition et répression des crimes contre l'Humanité. (Opinion of the Supreme Court on the draft Law on the Definition and Repression of Crimes Against Humanity, 24 March 1998).
Cour Suprême, N° 007/CS/98, 24 mars 1998. [FRA]
Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region.
24 February 2013. [ENG]
Accord-cadre pour la paix, la sécurité et la coopération pour la République démocratique du Congo et la région.
24 février 2013. [FRA]
Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region.
15 December 2006. [ENG]
Protocol of Non-aggression and Mutual Defence in the Great Lakes Region.
30 November 2006. [ENG]
Dar-es-Salaam Declaration on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region.
20 November 2004. [ENG]
Constitution de la République du Congo. (Adoptée par référendum le 25 octobre 2015). Journal officiel de la République du Congo, 57e Année - Edition Spéciale N° 8, 6 novembre 2015
Secrétariat général du Gouvernement, Brazzaville, République du Congo. [FRA]. [Last accessed 09Jan18]. [External Link to pdf document]
Loi n° 1-63 du 13 janvier 1963 portant code de procédure pénal.
Centre d'études stratégiques du bassin du Congo. [FRA]. [Last accessed 09Jan18]. [External Link to pdf document]
Les derniers Journaux officiels.
Secrétariat général du Gouvernement, Brazzaville, République du Congo. [FRA]. [Last accessed 08jan18]. [External Link]
Recueil des lois.
Centre d'études stratégiques du bassin du Congo. [FRA]. [Last accessed 08jan18]. [External Link]
Affaire des "Disparus du Beach” de Brazzaville.
Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l'Homme, No. 400, Juillet 2004. [FRA]. [Last accessed 09Jan18]. [External Link to pdf document]
List of International Humanitarian Law Treaties to which Congo is a State party. [ENG]
International Committee of the Red Cross. [ENG]. [Last accessed 19Dec17]. [External Link]