The Upper Chamber of Parliament Friday endorsed the law authorising the ratification of the agreement between the government of Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which paves way for the transfer to Rwanda of ICTR convicts to complete their sentences.

The agreement, according to Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama, was signed earlier this year but required a legislative nod for it to be operational.

Rwanda has persistently requested that convicts of the Arusha-based ICTR, be transferred to serve their sentences.

"An ICTR commission visited Rwanda and found we fulfilled all technical requirements and it was after this that we signed the agreement,” said Karugarama who is also Rwanda’s Attorney General.

Several convicts have remained at the ICTR detention facility even after their sentences were passed. 

"And we signed this agreement so we are just waiting for this law to be adopted by the cabinet and published, then we wait for their cooperation,” Karugarama told the Senate.

The minister added that it would be more convenient for the convicts of the tribunal, which was set up to try key suspects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis, to serve their sentences in Rwanda as their relatives will have easy access to them.

Karugarama explained that so far, countries that have applied to host the convicts include France, Botswana, Mali and Rwanda.

The only country where convicts have been transferred to is Mali, where five people including former Prime Minister Jean Kambanda are currently detained.

The tribunal convicted Kambanda to life imprisonment.
When the minister was asked by the Senate, what were the interests of countries like Mali apply to host Genocidaires, he said that perhaps the UN gives then some money to host them.

In a separate interview with The New Times, Karugarama said that after the law is published in the official Gazette, they will wait for action from ICTR.

"We have to do what we can do, which is our part and wait for our partner which is the ICTR,” Karugarama said.   Meanwhile, talks are on between Rwanda and the UN tribunal whose mandate expires next year, to have all unfinished cases tried by Rwandan courts.

Established by the UN Security Council in December 1994, the ICTR has so far completed 34 cases, some apprehended suspects have not yet put on trial while others remain at large including Felicien Kabuga who has been branded the ‘financier of the Genocide.’

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