AI 'concerned about Rwanda'

2007-11-02 20:26

London - Countries around the world should try Rwandan exiles suspected of involvement in the 1994 genocide instead of sending them to face trial in their own country, Amnesty International said on Friday.

The London-based human rights group said there were still "serious concerns" about Rwanda's ability to investigate and prosecute crimes relating to the 1994 atrocity both fairly and impartially.

Until it does so and where enough admissible evidence exists, cases should be brought elsewhere on behalf of both the Rwandan people and the international community, Amnesty's Africa programme director Erwin van der Borght said.

"Where universal jurisdiction laws allowing for prosecutions do not exist, they should be enacted immediately," he added.

Amnesty also urged the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) not to transfer any cases to Rwanda until the Kigali government showed it can and will conduct trials fairly and impartially and protect victims and witnesses.

The group also wants independent experts to oversee prosecutions, with full access to court documents, to see if they meet international standards.

'Respected and protected'

A number of formal and informal requests have been made to countries including Britain, Canada, France, Finland and the Netherlands for the extradition of Rwandan exiles suspected of involvement in the genocide.

The prosecutor of the ICTR, which sits in Arusha, Tanzania, filed a request to transfer its first case to the Rwandan courts in June this year.

Van der Borght said Amnesty backed Rwanda's national courts taking over the prosecution of people accused of involvement in the genocide, which saw 800 000 people, most of them minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus, killed.

"However, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that the rights of both the accused and the victims will be fully respected and protected by these courts," he added.

"We fully support the development of the national justice system in Rwanda - but until we are satisfied that all the criteria necessary for fair and impartial trials are met, we urge the ICTR and national governments to refuse to transfer any cases to Rwanda.

Backing foreign prosecutions

"The ICTR should inform the UN Security Council that they need more time and resources to complete their caseload, instead of seeking to transfer cases to a system where there is a risk of torture and unfair trial."

Human Rights Watch also backed foreign prosecutions of Rwandan genocide suspects on similar grounds, saying on Friday that four Rwandans currently subject to extradition proceedings in London should be tried by an English court.

Their hearing opened September 24 and resumes on Monday, an official at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court said.

- AFP