Key genocide suspect in court
2005-11-04 09:22
Montreal - Survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide looked on as the first person charged in Canada under the country's War Crimes Act appeared in court on Thursday to face allegations that he was a key player in the slaughter.
Desire Munyaneza, 39, was arraigned last month in Montreal on several charges, including two counts of genocide, two counts of crimes against humanity and three charges of war crimes.
He is accused of leading attacks on Tutsis at the National University of Rwanda and south of the capital, Kigali, during the 1994 genocide, in which more than half a million members of the Tutsi ethnic minority and politically moderate Hutus were slain.
Claims of innocence
Canada denied Munyaneza, a Hutu, refugee status in September 2000 and he lost several appeals. An immigration and refugee board panel also found there were reasons to believe he had participated in crimes against humanity.
African Rights, a Rwandan group that has documented the genocide, linked Munyaneza to key figures indicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal.
Munyaneza was living in Toronto before he was arrested in mid-October after being sighted by Rwandan immigrants. His lawyers claim his innocence.
Wearing handcuffs, Munyaneza appeared at the technical briefing in which prosecutors asked the judge to prevent the defence from revealing witness identities.
Ensure that justice prevails
Although the actual trial is months away, some felt justice was already under way.
"To see a militiaman in custody like that pleases me. It shows Canada is a country ruled by law," said Ones Mugarura, 40, a survivor of the genocide who lost friends and family in the conflict.
Paulin Nteziryayo, vice-president of the Page-Rwanda Association, which supports survivors of the genocide, praised Canada for showing it would not to be a haven for those accused in war crimes.
"Our goal is to make sure that justice prevails, that Canada can go after these people and discourage them from coming here," Nteziryayo said.
Munyaneza has been in custody since his arrest and will remain behind bars at least until his next court appearance on Monday.
- AP