ICTR applying double standards in Genocide trials

Editor, This is in reaction to the article, “ICTR speaks out on Genocide cases in France”, (The New Times, February 21).

Thursday, February 21, 2013
Minister Karugarama (L) Majola, (C) and Roland Kouassi G. Amoussouga, the ICTR spokesperson during a meeting in Kigali on Wednesday. The New Times / File.

Editor,This is in reaction to the article, "ICTR speaks out on Genocide cases in France”, (The New Times, February 21).This meeting (between Christopher Bongani Majola, the Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Justice Minister, Tharcisse Karugarama) does little to settle the double standards issue the Prosecutor General raised. First, before transferring the suspects to France, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) should have assured itself that they would receive a fair trial, in good time and would comply with international standards, the way it was done for Rwanda. Now Mr Bongani is saying that they found out later that things were not as they expected. Second, double standards are about these rules he is talking about concerning monitors. I bet that if Rwanda delayed the trial of a suspect for even a quarter of the time France has so far delayed, the ICTR or the mechanism would even create new rules to address the situation. This is the world we live in.Hope, Mile 40 Nyamirambo, Kigali