René Blattmann (born January 28, 1948) is a

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who is a judge of the

International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals ...

. Prior to his appointment to the ICC Blattmann served as Bolivia's minister for justice and human rights.

Early life and education

Blattmann was born to a father of Swiss descent and studied law at the

University of Basel The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universit ...

between 1967 and 1971. After graduation, he taught at several universities in Bolivia and abroad.

Political career

In 1993 Blattmann entered politics with the

Revolutionary Nationalist Movement The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement ( es, Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario , MNR) is a centre-right conservative political party in Bolivia and was the leading force behind the Bolivian National Revolution from 1952 to 1964. It influen ...

(MNR), serving as the Minister of Justice. He introduced several reforms with regard to human rights. In the presidential elections of 2002, he was the presidential candidate for the Movimiento Ciudadano para el Cambio (MCC). He campaigned for introducing the mechanism of the referendum inspired by the Swiss democracy in Bolivian politics, but was not elected.

Juridical career

Judge Blattmann was elected to the ICC from the Latin American and Caribbean group of states and is a member of List B, the list of judges whose experience is in the field of human rights law and international law. He was elected for a six-year term in 2003, and although that term expired in 2009 he remained in office for the duration of the trial of

Thomas Lubanga Thomas Lubanga Dyilo (born 29 December 1960) is a convicted war criminal from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the first person ever convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). He founded and led the Union of Congolese P ...

. He was assigned to the court's trial division and sits as a member of Trial Chamber I. In 2012 Blattmans term ended.

Personal life

René is the grandson of Karl Blattmann, a Swiss immigrant to

Cachuela Esperanza Cachuela Esperanza is a village in the Bolivian Departamento Beni. Location ''Cachuela Esperanza'' ("rapids of hope") is situated on the right bank at the rapids of Beni River, 30 km before its confluence with Mamoré River which both for ...

, Bolivia. He is married to Marianne Schassner and has three children. He does not have a Swiss passport.

Awards

1995 Emblema de Oro from the Bolivian police 1998 Honorary doctorate from the University of Basel 2001

Carl Bertelsmann Carl Bertelsmann (11 October 1791 – 17 December 1850) was a German businessman, publisher, and founder of German company Bertelsmann. Life C. Bertelsmann Verlag was founded as a publishing house and print shop in July 1835 by Carl Bertelsmann ...

Prize for the transformation towards democracy during his term as a Minister of Justice. Together with Ana Maria Romero.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blattmann, Rene 1948 births 20th-century Bolivian lawyers 21st-century Bolivian judges International Criminal Court judges Living people Bolivian judges of international courts and tribunals Candidates in the 2002 Bolivian presidential election