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Rwanda genocide tribunal begins trial of former businessman for church massacre

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

[JURIST] The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on Monday began genocide proceedings against a former businessman man charged with ordering a bulldozer to knock down a church housing refugees and then ordering the bulldozer driver to crush those refugees during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Prosecutors say that Gaspard Kanyarukiga helped plan the 1994 massacre in which 2,000 Tutsis died from being crushed or shot as they attempted to flee the structure. Kanyarukiga was indicted in 2001 and pleaded not guilty in 2004. In June 2008, the ICTR denied a request to extradite Kanyarukiga to Rwanda for trial. The trial could take a several years to complete. Last month, the UN Security Council extended the terms for ICTR judges until December 31, 2010, or until they complete their cases. In March, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon pledged his ongoing support for the ICTR and stressed that the international community must continue to combat genocide. Last year, Kanyarukiga's alleged co-conspirator, Catholic priest Athanase Seromba was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the genocide after prosecutors successfully argued that his original 15-year sentence was too lenient. The ICTR was established to try genocide suspects for crimes occurring during the 1994 Rwandan conflict between Hutus and Tutsis in which approximately 800,000 people, primarily Tutsis, died.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on August 31, 2009 (boomark / email).