A/HRC/25/73 of obstruction of justice. The Independent Expert calls for the adoption of a special law on the protection of victims and witnesses. 40. The judges and human rights organizations that the Independent Expert held meetings with unanimously recognized the need to extend the mandate of the special investigation unit (CSE), scheduled to conclude in December 2013. The Independent Expert noted that the Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Civil Liberties held the opposite view, arguing that “the CSE has lost its purpose, as it was set up as a substitute for normal institutions, not to exist alongside them. The unit is a legal anomaly.” In view of the complex nature of the legal procedures under way, the positive results already achieved and the familiarity of the unit’s investigating judges with the cases they have handled, the Independent Expert calls upon the Government not only to take steps to renew the unit’s mandate, but also to provide it with additional means to expedite its work. Retaining the CSE will add credibility to the Government’s commitment to fighting impunity and promoting equitable justice. 41. The Independent Expert calls on the authorities to take steps to speed up judicial procedures against persons whose property has been frozen so as to allow for their maintenance and for that of their families, without prejudicing the rights of victims, based on the principle of combating impunity and promoting equitable justice. B. Military justice 42. Only two military trials have been completed: the trial of General Bruno Dogbo Blé and four of his subordinates, which finished in October 2012, and the trial of four members of the military who were convicted of murdering Mamadou Idy, a Nigerian soldier serving in UNOCI, which finished in December 2012. 43. The Independent Expert is concerned about the lack of compliance of military justice procedures with international standards. The Code of Military Procedure dates back to 1974 and has never been amended. The Independent Expert encourages the Ivorian authorities to undertake the reforms required in terms of standards and structures to ensure that military justice is equitable. The Independent Expert wishes to commend the professionalism of the military prosecutor’s cooperation with him during the visit. C. Interaction between the international and national justice systems 44. The Independent Expert notes that there is good cooperation between the Ivorian justice system and the International Criminal Court, in particular with respect to the sharing of information. 45. At a session held on 3 June 2013, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court requested the prosecutor to submit new elements so as to allow it to rule on the confirmation of charges against Laurent Gbagbo by January 2014.5 Meeting in the Council of Ministers on 20 September 2013, the Government decided to submit a request for inadmissibility to the Court and to postpone execution of the arrest warrant issued by the Court for Simone Gbagbo. 5 GE.14-10154 Situation in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, the Prosecutor v. Laurent Gbagbo, International Criminal Court, decision No. ICC-02/11-01/11 of 3 June 2013, available at the following address: http://www.icc-cpi.int/iccdocs/doc/doc1599831.pdf. 11