Rwanda indicts more than 140 for genocide
Genocide suspect Leon Mugesera was extradite to Rwanda by Canada – after more than 15 years of court battles
The Rwanda government said Thursday that it indicted some 146 genocide fugitives in the past year alone – whose sealed arrest warrants have been sent to different countries across all continents.
Prosecutor general Martin Ngoga informed President Paul Kagame during the launch of the judicial year 2012-2013, that the warrants had been sent to 28 countries. Response from the recipient countries of the warrants was slow, he said.
In the past year, there were 11 verdicts against genocide suspects in different countries. Ngoga said 15 genocide cases are ongoing and 7 suspects had been transferred to Rwanda from countries and the international criminal tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
However, the prosecutor general did not shy away from attacking some countries. Though he did not name the country, Ngoga seemed to accuse Denmark of playing politics with the case of Sylvere Ahorugeze who has been through the entire judicial process, but the Danish government is yet to decide on his fate.
Sylvere Ahorugeze was arrested and tried in Sweden. His extradition case went up to the EU’s highest court which ruled he could be extradited to Rwanda. The situation was complicated by the fact that Ahorugeze is originally from Denmark where he has been living with his family since fleeing Rwanda after the genocide.
In Denmark however, the government there has been unwilling to send him to Rwanda. The prosecutor general caused laughter when he said: “We in the judiciary have done our part; it is time for the politicians to carry on”.
Ngoga said 14 rogatory commissions from four countries are currently in the country conducting investigations on different genocide fugitives. He did not give details.
In a related development, the Rwanda government has set up a Genocide Fugitives Database in the National Public Prosecution Authority which will compile data on all genocide suspects still at large. As of September, the database has 600 fugitives.
