Two Genocide suspects held in Sweden

Police in Sweden this week separately arrested two men accused of participating in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, according to media reports in the Nordic country. The duo was according to reports, arrested from different parts of the country and interrogated by the Swedish police. When contacted yesterday, Prosecutor General Richard Muhumuza, acknowledged the reports but said his office would only comment after receiving an official communication from their counterparts in Sweden. “We have outstanding extradition requests to Sweden and several other countries. However, we have no official communication from Swedish prosecuting authorities on the reported arrests. “We do, however, welcome arrests and subsequent extradition or trial of Genocide suspects wherever they are,” Muhumuza said. One of the accused is reportedly, a 55-year-old engineer, who worked as a teacher before the Genocide. No fugitive has been extradited from Sweden, despite the country being among the first to give a nod to the extradition of Genocide suspects. Another suspect is Sylvaire Ahorugeze, a former head of the Civil Aviation Authority who was arrested in 2008 and cleared for extradition to Rwanda by all Swedish courts but petitioned the European Court of Human and People’s Rights to block his extradition. However, in a landmark ruling, both the court and its appellate chamber dismissed his pleas that he would not get fair trial in Rwanda. However, by the time a final decision was made, he had already left the country and has since evaded extradition. Several Nordic countries have over the years made efforts to ensure that Genocide perpetrators are are brought to book. Norway has so far extradited two suspects to Rwanda, while another was tried and convicted there for his role in the Genocide that claimed over a million lives.

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Two Genocide suspects held in Sweden