Father Hormisdas Nsengimana, a Catholic priest acquitted of Genocide charges by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has been transferred to Italy.

ICTR Spokesman Roland Amoussouga confirmed the development in an interview with The New Times yesterday, and said that the priest had arrived in Italy together with his counsel.

"Yes, he arrived in Italy this morning (yesterday). Father Nsengimana will continue with his pastoral duties in one of the parishes in Northern Italy," Amoussouga said.

The tribunal last year acquitted Nsengimana of genocide as well as murder and extermination as crimes against humanity.

It then ordered his immediate release from the UN Detention Facility in Arusha

Although the Chamber did not find a sufficient factual and legal basis for concluding that Nsengimana was guilty of any of the crimes, anti-Genocide activists denounced the acquittal and blamed it on the laxity of ICTR prosecutors.

Apart from Nsengimana, Amoussouga said that ICTR was still negotiating with countries on the transfer of other acquitted persons who include; André Ntagerura the former Minster for Transport and Communication, former military officer Gen. Gratien Kabiligi and Protais Zigiranyirazo, a brother-in-law of former President Juvenal Habyarimana.  

Nsengimana was arrested in Cameroon in March 2002 and made his initial appearance before the tribunal in April 2002.
The trial commenced on 22 June 2007 and concluded on 17 September 2008.

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