HRW: Rwandan police kill 20
2007-07-24 11:17
Nairobi - The Rwanda National Police (RNP) have killed at least 20 detainees since November, says a human rights report, calling for investigations into the extrajudicial executions.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) found that many of the police detainees killed were accused of crimes relating to Rwanda's 1994 genocide and were awaiting trial in traditional courts known as gacaca. The others had been accused of murder, rape or theft.
Alison Des Forges, a senior HRW official, said: "Rwanda says it is striving to establish a state of law. Killing detainees is not the way to do it. The Rwandan National Police must ensure that the killings end."
800 000 civilians killed
The rights group said commissioner general of RNP Andrew Rwigamba had acknowledged the deaths saying most detainees were shot while attempting to escape and were, "of extreme criminal character ready to die for their genocide ideology".
HRW said police killings took place in several parts of Rwanda, but those documented so far had been concentrated in the south and east, regions known for the severity of Rwanda's genocide in 1994, which killed at least 800 000 civilians.
Des Forges said: "The idea of innocent until proven guilty is fundamental to the legitimacy of a judicial system. It is guaranteed by international law and the Rwandan constitution, and it must be implemented in Rwanda."
The report was based on dozens of interviews with families of victims and eyewitnesses and said that many of the killings happened between November and May.
Donor governments, including the United States and the United Kingdom, had asked police officials for explanations for the killings. The RNP had promised an investigation.