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Sweden will be first EU nation to extradite Rwandan facing genocide charges

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Sweden will become the first European Union (EU) nation to extradite a Rwandan to his native country so that he can stand trial for his alleged role in Rwanda's 1994 genocide, Swedish Justice Minister Beatrice Ask announced Thursday. The announcement comes in response to a Rwandan government request for Sweden to turn over Sylvere Ahorugeze, a Tutu who headed the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority during Rwanda's civil war. Ahorugeze had been living in Denmark for several years as a refugee before being arrested in Sweden. In May, the Supreme Court of Sweden ruled in favor of his extradition. He is expected to arrive in Rwanda within three weeks. In May, a Rwandan Hutu was the first to be convicted under Canada's new Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. In April, the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) called on the Rwandan government to investigate reports of killings during and after the uprising by the Rwandan Patriotic Army. In March, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon pledged his ongoing support for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and stressed that the international community must continue to combat genocide.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on July 10, 2009 (boomark / email).