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Issue 00435 |
September 9 - 15, 2006 |
issn 0856 - 9135 |
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UN Tribunal |
Two new trials, three judgments due this month The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has a busy schedule for September 2006 with the opening of two new trials and the delivery of the verdict in three other cases. The debates will be resumed in other trials opened before the recess, among which that of Colonel Theoneste Bagosora, one of the most prominent accused at the ICTR. New trials The new trials are Simon Bikindi, a famous musician accused of having composed songs inciting the genocide, and that of Simon Nchamihigo, a former deputy prosecutor in Cyangugu (south west of Rwanda). Simon Bikindi,s trial is to start on September 11th and Nchamihigo’s on the 25th. The prosecutor notably alleges that Bikindi’s songs, regularly aired on the radio over the hundred days of the genocide, have prompted the militaries, militia men and Hutu civilians to kill Tutsis. The other convict, Nchamihigo, is accused of having taken part in massacres in his region. Bikindi, 52 years old, was arrested in Netherlands on July 12th 2001. He is represented by Wilfreda Nderitu from Kenya and Jean de Dieu Momo from Cameroon. Nchamihigo, 47 years old, was arrested in Tanzania on May 19th 2001. At the time, he worked as an investigator within the defense team of a convict on trial before the ICTR. His lawyer is Denis Turcotte from Canada. Judgments Awaited The ICTR is currently deliberating on four verdicts, three of which are to be handed down in the course of September. Jean Mpambara - former mayor of Rukara (East), Colonel Tharcisse Muvunyi, former director of the Non-Commissioned Officer’ s School of Butare (South) in 1994, and Andre Rwamakuba, former Minister of Primary Education and Secondary Education should find out what the future holds. The first two cases will be settled on the 12th and Rwamakuba’s verdict will be issued on the 20th. Ongoing trials Other hearings are scheduled in older cases such as “Militairies” that concerns the Ministry of Defence’ s former principal private secretary. Colonel Thoneste Bagosora that the ICTR considers as «the brain» of the genocide is judged alongside three other officers. In this trial, opened in April 2002, it is the turn of the defence to present its witnesses. Defence witnesses have also been heard in the ongoing “ Butare” trial since it opened in June 2001. It regroups six accused among which Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, formerly Minister for Family and Women Affairs and only woman detained by the ICTR. The Butare trial will continue in September, as well as the trial of four former ministers of the Interim Government in action during the 1994 genocide. Both trials are now at the stage of the presentation of the evidences for the defence. “Militaires II”, also on the September schedule, is still in its accusatory phase. Opened in September 2004, it regroups the former heads of the General Staff of the Army and Police Forces Il, Generals Augustin Bizimungu and Augustin Ndindiliyimana as well as two officials of the reconnaissance battalion, an elite unit of the former Rwandan Army.
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