The International Court of Justice has ordered the Senegalese government to commence the trial of Chad’s former president Hissene Habre ‘without delay’ or to extradite him to Belgium to face trial.
Mr Habre denies accusation he committed crimes against humanities during his reign.
He is alleged to have killed and tortured tens of thousands of opposition activists between 1982 and 1990.
The highest court at the UN was investigating whether he should be extradited to Belgium or tried in Senegal, after Belgium requested the ICJ to order Habre’s extradition.
Belgium’s universal jurisdiction law allows victims to file complaints and judges to prosecute human rights offences committed anywhere in the world.
Four previous extradition requests by Belgium to Senegal were refused.
Amnesty International welcomed the ruling and called on Senegal to try Habre.
"This is a victory for victims that's long overdue, and now it's high time the courts in Senegal delivered justice," said Michael Bochenek, Amnesty's law and policy programme director.
Habre has been living in Senegal since his ouster from Chad in 1990 and was arrested in 2005.
