Press Release . Communiqué de presse
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)

The Hague, 19 November 2003
CT/P.I.S./801-e

Today, Wednesday 19 November 2003, Judge Vonimbolana Rasoazanany (Madagascar) was sworn in as an ad litem Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia after appointment by the Secretary-General of the United Nations effective 17 November 2003.

Judge Rasoazanany has been assigned by the ICTY President, Judge Theodor Meron, to the case "The Prosecutor v. Enver Hadzihasanovic and Amir Kubura." The trial in this case is scheduled to commence on 2 December 2003.

One year later she began her career within her country’s judiciary: she successively held the positions of Substitut du Procureur de la République (1976-1978) and Juge et juge d’instruction (1978-1981 at the Tribunal of Ambositra, 1981-1985 at the First Instance Tribunal of Antsirabe). In 1985, she joined the Cour d’appel of Antananarivo, first as conseiller and later as Président de la Cour criminelle ordinaire.

In 1991, she was elected to the Cour Suprême where she was Président de Chambre until her appointment, in June 2002, as Directeur des Etudes et des Relations Extérieures at the Ministry of Justice of Madagascar.

In addition, Ms. Rasoazanany held an academic position (1985-1986), was an Expert member of the Comité in charge of drafting the Constitution of Madagascar and conducted various assignments for both the UNDP and the UNICEF. She also took part in courses provided by among others the United States Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (on legal aspects of Peace Operations) or the High Commission of the United Nations for Human Rights.

Since 2000, Ms. Rasoazanany has been a member of the Ligue Africaine des Droits de l’Homme and of the Comité Malgache pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme.

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