Editor, in the best of worlds, Yussuf Munyakazi definitely should be serving his sentence right here, in the country and society where he committed such atrocities. These alternative solutions validated by the courts, which let the perpetrators serve their sentence in other countries, have always felt like some kind of cop-out to me.
Editor,
IN THE best of worlds, Yussuf Munyakazi definitely should be serving his sentence right here, in the country and society where he committed such atrocities. These alternative solutions validated by the courts, which let the perpetrators serve their sentence in other countries, have always felt like some kind of cop-out to me.
Yes of course, they are still imprisoned and the absence of physical freedom, the restriction to move around does serve a purpose of punishment.
But in truth, we also know that for criminals (more so for génocidaires), having to face the people, families, societies whose loved ones they have massacred...that’s often the greater punishment.
There’s no longer hope that they can fool anyone. Everyone just knows...And, not to mention the sense of justice if not peace, that seeing such monsters behind bars, can have on the victims’ families.
Diyana, Rwanda
Reaction to the story, "How Munyakazi used his wealth to unleash militiamen on Abasesero” (The New Times, March 4)