Editing Hissène Habré (section)

===Initial trial attempts===
Between 1993 and 2003, Belgium had [[universal jurisdiction]] legislation (the Belgian [[War Crimes Law (Belgium)|War Crimes Law]]) allowing the most serious violations of human rights to be tried in national as well as international courts, without any direct connection to the country of the alleged perpetrator, the victims or where the crimes took place.<ref name="Savadogo 2014 105–127"/> Despite the repeal of the legislation, investigations against Habré went ahead and in September 2005 he was indicted for crimes against humanity, torture, war crimes, and other human rights violations.<ref name="Savadogo 2014 105–127"/> Senegal, where Habré had been in exile for 17 years,<ref name="Economist">{{cite news |url=http://www.economist.com/node/9441341?story_id=9441341 |title=How the mighty are falling |date=5 July 2007 |newspaper=The Economist |access-date=3 July 2012}}</ref> had Habré under nominal house arrest in [[Dakar]].<ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article316084.ece The Independent] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051121173804/http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article316084.ece |date=21 November 2005}}</ref>

On 17 March 2006, the [[European Parliament]] demanded that Senegal turn over Habré to Belgium to be tried. Senegal did not comply, and it at first refused [[extradition]] demands from the [[African Union]] which arose after Belgium asked to try Habré. The [[Chadian Association for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights]] expressed its approval of the decision.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200603170228.html |title=Chad: European Parliament Calls for Trial of Hissène Habré |author=Human Rights Watch |date=16 March 2006 |publisher=allafrica.com |access-date=3 July 2012}}</ref> If he had been turned over, he would have become the first former dictator to be extradited by a third-party country to stand trial for human rights abuses. In 2007, Senegal set up its own special war-crimes court to try Habré under pressure from the African Union.<ref name="Economist"/> On 8 April 2008, the [[National Assembly of Senegal]] voted to amend the nation's [[Constitution of Senegal|constitution]] to clear the way for Habré to be prosecuted in Senegal;<ref>{{cite news |url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilSuW-bsoOgcqLzkuQthox0qGrig |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124143928/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilSuW-bsoOgcqLzkuQthox0qGrig |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 January 2013 |title=Sénégal: les députés modifient la Constitution pour juger Hissène Habré |language=fr |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=8 April 2008 |access-date=3 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Senegal-amends-constitution-20080409 |title=Senegal amends constitution |agency=Associated Press |date=9 April 2008 |publisher=News 24 |access-date=3 July 2012}}</ref> Ibrahima Gueye was appointed trial coordinator in May 2008. A joint session of the National Assembly and the [[Senate of Senegal|Senate]] voted in July 2008 to approve a bill empowering Senegalese courts to try people for crimes committed in other countries and for crimes that were committed more than ten years beforehand; this made it constitutionally possible to try Habré. Senegalese Minister of Justice [[Madicke Niang]] appointed four investigative judges on this occasion.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Senegal-may-finally-try-Habre-20080723 |title=Senegal may finally try Habre |date=24 July 2008 |agency=Reuters |publisher=News 24 |access-date=3 July 2012}}</ref>

A 2007 movie by director [[Klaartje Quirijns]], ''The Dictator Hunter'', tells the story of the activists [[Souleymane Guengueng]] and Reed Brody who led the efforts to bring Habré to trial.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.democracynow.org/2008/6/12/the_dictator_hunter_victims_of_us |title="The Dictator Hunter": Victims of US-Allied Chadian Dictator Hissene Habre Lead Quest to Bring Him to Justice |author=Amy Goodman and Juan González |date=12 June 2008 |work=Democracy Now! |access-date=3 July 2012}}]</ref>