Office of the Prosecutor
Under the Special Court Statute, the Prosecutor is responsible "for the investigation and prosecution of persons who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and crimes under Sierra Leonean law" committed in Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996. The Prosecutor acts independently as a separate organ of the Court, and may not receive instruction from any government or other source.
Mr. Stephen J. Rapp is Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
In December 2006 the Secretary-General of the United 
Nations
appointed Stephen J. Rapp as the third Prosecutor for the Special Court
for Sierra Leone. Mr. Rapp succeeded Desmond de Silva, QC who had
departed in June 2006.
Mr. Rapp, an American, was previously Chief of Prosecutions at the United Nations-International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) from May 2005. In this position, Mr Rapp was responsible for supervising the prosecution of military, government and political leaders responsible for the Rwandan genocide in trials at the ICTR in Arusha, Tanzania.
Prior to that, Mr. Rapp served as Senior Trial Attorney of what has been called the "Media Trial," against the principals of RTLM radio and the editor of the Kangura newspaper. In December 2003, the Trial Chamber pronounced each of the defendants guilty of Genocide, Direct and Public Incitement to Commit Genocide, and other crimes.
Prior to his service at the ICTR, Mr. Rapp was United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa from November 1993 until May 2001. Prior to service as US Attorney he was in private practice of law in Waterloo, Iowa. He also served as a Staff Director and Counsel at the US Senate Judiciary Committee and as an elected member of the Iowa Legislature.