Legal Journals

Rwandan Chaplain Found Guilty of Genocide by UN Court

By pros

Last Friday a United Nations tribunal found Emmanuel Rukundo, a former chaplain of the Rwandan Armed Forces, guilty of genocide, murder as a crime against humanity and extermination as a crime. The Tribunal, which was created to investigate the mass killings in Rwanda in 1994, sentenced Mr. Rukundo to 25 years in prison. He was arrested in Geneva in 2001.

The Tribunal concluded that in April 1994, Rukundo, along with Rwandan soldiers, kidnapped a woman known as Madame Rudahunga, killing her and severely beating her children. The Tribunal also found that Rukundo had participated in the kidnapping and murder of Tutsis who had sought refuge in the St. Leon Minor Seminary on at least four occasions.

The Tribunal ultimately ?found without a reasonable doubt that Rukundo was present during the commission of the crime and the soldiers acted under his authority.? The Tribunal condemned Rukundo?s actions given his position as religious figure stating that he had?abused his moral authority and influence.?

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Full post as published by Harvard International Law Journal Digest on March 09, 2009 (boomark / email).