We know now that there is justice in the world. Hello, I'm Sarah Elzas- That's Marcel Touanga, whose 28 year old son disappeared the night of May 14, 1999, in Congo-Brazzaville. He later found out that his son had been shot by public officials, along with dozens of other young men… who were returning from neighboring Kinshasa, where they had taken refuge from the civil war in their own country. The 350 victims are called the "disappeared of the Beach" because they came through the Brazzaville river-port called the Beach. On Wednesday, the French Supreme Court affirmed Touanga's right to take those responsible to court… in France, even though they are Congolese, and the events took place in Congo.

It's a joy- that justice is going to be done correctly, says this man, who was one of two survivors of the killings. A bullet passed through his head, but didn't kill him. He managed to drag himself from under the bodies, and escape. He eventually made his way to France, where he joined with Marcel Touanga, who represents the families of the victims, and another survivor, to look for justice.

Jeanne Sulvert is a lawyer with the International Federation for Human Rights, which prepared the case along with other human rights groups in France and Congo. The initial investigations lead to the indictment of two Congolese officials, including the director of the police. Sulvert explains that cases like these can be filed in any country that has ratified the Torture Convention. France incorporated the Convention into its criminal code in 1994

The organizations representing the victims have denounced political interference in this case- which lead one defendant escaping from a Paris jail in the middle of the night in 2004. But the Supreme Court's decision this week put an end to any political meddling- by saying that the case can go forward.

Fifteen officials were tried in Brazzaville criminal court in August 2005- but they were all acquitted. Sulvert says that applying universal jurisdiction- using foreign courts to find justice- began in earnest in 1998, when the Chilean General Augusto Pinochet was arrested in England and faced charges there and in Spain.

The International Criminal Court is not retroactive, so it could not hear the Brazzaville Beach case, because the events happened before 2002. The European Court for Human rights only hears cases against governments- and this is a case against individuals. So the lawyers got a bit creative in figuring out who could be prosecuted on French soil, though this isn't the such first case:

Now that the French courts have agreed to allow the case of the "disappeared of the Beach" to continue- the lawyers and victims will get back to work on the investigation. But at least it's going forward. This victim says he is waiting for the day of the trial and the final victory.