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Fatou Bensouda
Serving as chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court from 2012 to 2021.
International prosecutions · ICC deputy prosecutor
- Born
- 31 January 1961
- Birthplace
- Banjul, The Gambia
More people
Fatou Bensouda
Fatou Bensouda is a Gambian lawyer whose career spans national government, international prosecutions and diplomacy.
Early life
Banjul upbringing
Grew up in The Gambia’s capital.
Legal education
Studied law in Nigeria and specialised further in maritime law.
Career
- 1980s–2000
Gambian legal service
Worked as a prosecutor and later attorney general and justice minister.
- 2000s
International justice
Worked at the Rwanda tribunal and became ICC deputy prosecutor.
- 2012–2021
ICC prosecutor
Led the court’s prosecution office.
Legal career
International prosecutions
Worked on cases arising from the Rwandan genocide.
ICC deputy prosecutor
Led the prosecutions division.
Chief prosecutor
Oversaw investigations and prosecutions of alleged international crimes.
Beyond prosecution
Diplomacy
Entered diplomatic service after leaving the ICC.
Institutional limits
The court’s work depends on jurisdiction and cooperation from states.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Max Koot Studio. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
