Gisèle Halimi

Lore & Background

Gisèle Halimi was one of the 25 members of the Russell Tribunal's committee, which called itself the International War Crimes Tribunal. The tribunal was constituted in November 1966 and conducted two sessions in 1967, in Stockholm, Sweden and Roskilde, Denmark. Halimi's role on the tribunal placed her alongside notable figures including Bertrand Russell (Tribunal Honorary President), Jean-Paul Sartre (Tribunal Executive President), Simone de Beauvoir, and Vladimir Dedijer (Tribunal chairman and President of Sessions). The tribunal investigated and evaluated American foreign policy and military intervention in Vietnam, examining questions such as whether the United States had committed acts of aggression, bombarded civilian targets, used forbidden weapons, subjected prisoners to torture, or committed acts of genocide. The source describes Halimi as a 'French lawyer; attorney for Djamila Bouhired; author of works on French repression of independence fighters in Algeria.'

Reader's Guide

To understand Gisèle Halimi's contribution to the Russell Tribunal, note that she was one of 25 prominent individuals from peace organizations who served on the tribunal committee. The tribunal's aims included investigating whether the United States Government had committed acts of aggression according to international law, whether the American army had used forbidden weapons, whether there had been bombardment of civilian targets such as hospitals and schools, whether prisoners had been subjected to torture, and whether acts of genocide had occurred. The tribunal heard testimony from more than 30 people, including military personnel from the United States and both warring factions in Vietnam. Halimi's background as a lawyer who defended Algerian independence fighters and wrote about French repression in Algeria brought specific expertise to the tribunal's examination of state violence and human rights violations. The tribunal's findings were largely ignored in the United States.

Did You Know?

• Gisèle Halimi was one of 25 members of the Russell Tribunal committee, which included Bertrand Russell as Honorary President and Jean-Paul Sartre as Executive President.
• She was described in the source as a 'French lawyer; attorney for Djamila Bouhired; author of works on French repression of independence fighters in Algeria.'
• The Russell Tribunal investigated American foreign policy and military intervention in Vietnam across two sessions in 1967, in Stockholm, Sweden and Roskilde, Denmark.
• Halimi served alongside other notable tribunal members including Simone de Beauvoir, Vladimir Dedijer, and James Baldwin.