The UN Tribunal for Rwanda has handed life sentences to two senior members of the ruling political party in the country at the time of the 1994 genocide.

The sentences were imposed upon Matthieu Ngirumpatse and Edouard Karemera, for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The United States extradited a former Bosnian soldier to face charges of war crimes in Bosnia.

Edin Dzeko, now a naturalised US citizen, is accused of taking part in the mass murder of Croatian civilians in the South of Bosnia, in 1993.

In a statement, the Bosnian prosecutor's office said,

"Defendant Edin Dzeko was deported from the United States and handed over to Bosnia-Herzegovina authorities on December 20."

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has warned France of ‘grave consequence if the proposed legislation to outlaw the Armenian Genocide is passed by the French lower house of parliament on Thursday.

"It is impossible for us to accept a draft law directed toward eliminating the freedom to reject unjust and groundless accusations against our country and our people," the Turkish president said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

A former Rwanadan rebel leader who faced charges of war crimes, has been freed by the International Criminal Court due to a lack of evidence.

Callixte Mbarushimana, leader of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (known by their French acronym, FDLR) stood accused of 13 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009.

A Parisian court has begun proceedings against a Rwandan doctor who has been living in the country, over his alleged role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

The doctor, Sosthene Munyemana, had an arrest warrant issued by Interpol, and was wanted for charges including genocide and crimes against humanity. He had lived and worked in a hospital located in south-west France for the last 10 years.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a worldwide press freedom group, called on the Egyptian military to end the violence against journalists and the censoring of media outlets.  

See CPJ statement -'In Egypt, press freedom abuses must be investigated' (19/12/11)

CPJ's Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator, Mohamed Abdel Dayem, said,

Addressing the UN Secruity Council, chief ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, continued the court's call to end impunity in Sudan and bring those responsible for crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur, to justice. 

Ocampo said,

“The execution of the arrest warrants will end the crimes in Darfur."

A former member of the Waffen SS has begun a life-sentence for the murder of three civilians during World War II.

Wheelchair bound Heinrich Boere, who is now 90 years old, was taken from his nursing home to the prison where he will serve his sentence.

An appeal on medical grounds was rejected, as a medical expert testified he was well enough to serve his sentence at a suitable facility.

Russia has proposed a new UN resolution on Syria, condeming the violence used against civilians by “all parties, including disproportionate use of force by Syrian authorities”.

Although officials from the US and Europe described the current draft as too mild, they welcomed it, remaining hopeful that a sterner stance can be negotiated with Moscow.

US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said,