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Rwandans avoid genocide courts
15/04/2006 19:16 - (SA)
Nairobi - Rwandan local courts, trying suspects of the country's 1994 genocide, are suffering a major setback because Rwandans are shying away from giving testimony, an international legal panel said on Saturday.
The Brussels-based Lawyers Without Borders said witnesses have kept away from the village grass root tribunals, known as "gacaca", for fear of reprisals.
The legal panel issued a statement on Saturday, which read: "Three main reasons account for the lack of participation: fear of reprisals, refusal to testify against relatives and the fear of conviction for giving false testimony or declining to testify."
The "gacacas" are based on the concept of a traditional Rwandan tribal council.
They were set up to clear a heavy backlog of genocide-related cases from Rwanda's criminal courts.
So far, the country's criminal courts have tried 10 000 genocide cases.
About 800 000 Rwandans - about 10% of the population - are expected to appear before the tribunals.
About the same number of Rwandans were killed in the 100-day genocide between April and July 1994, in which Hutu extremists targeted mainly minority Tutsis.
All of those to be tried are accused of participating in, but not organising or directing, the killings.
They can be given sentences ranging from community service up to life in prison.
Since they began their proceedings last year, the courts have delivered 6 000 verdicts.
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