Rwanda genocide prime suspect taken to court

Similar treatment was meted out to moderate Hutus and officials of political parties that were challenging President Habyarimana’s rule and MRND party which dominated Rwanda politics for many years.

Some of the horrific killings, which allegedly took place under the command of the former army captain, were the extermination of lecturers and students identified to be Tutsis at the National University of Butare.

Nizeyimana, who has been in hiding since an arrest warrant was issued against him in 2000, is further alleged to have sent soldiers on April 25, 1994 to the home of former Rwanda Queen Rosalie Gicanda where she was eliminated alongside other people.

Between 800,000 and one million people were massacred in Rwanda during three months of bloodshed (April to July 1994), which ended with the coming to power of Tutsi-supported RPF.

The accused was initially jointly charged with two others Tharcisse Muvunyi (case on re-trial) and Idelphonse Hategekimana (trial in progress).

They are facing five counts of genocide or in the alternative, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide and crimes against humanity.

Captain Nizeyimana pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all the charges when he appeared before Judge Khalida Khan (Pakistan).

The hearing has been adjourned until further notice.

The  former second in command in Rwanda intelligence services, had a $5 million bounty on his head under the US Rewards for Justice Programme is only the second one to be arrested under the cash incentive.

His arrest warrant

He was arrested in Kampala on October 5 this year by the Ugandan police and Interpol after being on run for nearly nine years after his arrest warrant was issued by the Arusha-based UN Tribunal in 2000.

After his capture in a Kampala hotel, where he was reportedly on transit from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Kenya, he was immediately transferred to ICTR’s detention facility in the northern Tanzania town.  

According to him, Captain Nizeyimana has been provided with the legal aid of a Tanzanian lawyer, Bharat Chadha. 

Nizeyimana is the second of the 13 alleged masterminds of the Rwanda genocide, who had a $ 5 million bounty on their heads, to be arrested so far under the US Rewards for Justice Programme.

The first one, Gregorire Ndahimana, was arrested some weeks ago in the DRC but his extradition to Arusha was delayed for almost a month until ICTR threatened to report DRC to the UN Security Council for the delay.