Government “disappointed” over Finland’s stance in Genocide case

KIGALI - The Minister of Justice Tharcise Karugarama Saturday expressed disappointment about the decision taken by Finnish authorities to turn down the extradition request of Francois Uzaramba, a genocide suspect who was arrested early 2007 in Finland. Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry’s head offices in Kimihurura, Karugarama said Finland took this position following the stand taken by ICTR that the Rwandan judiciary lacks the capacity and jurisprudence to try genocide cases, a decision he described as purely speculative and subjective. “Finland is not saying Uzaramba did not commit the crimes because the Finnish police itself came here and conducted its independent investigations and justified the allegations. But it is just basing its rejection on the baseless and subjective decisions taken by the ICTR that we cannot conduct fair and impartial trials,” complained Karugarama. He further pointed out that despite the overwhelming evidence pinning Uzaramba for the brutal murders of people during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, the Finnish government had to take this stand in this matter. “This is very unfortunate and a sad moment for international justice, the genocide victims and all haters of genocide around the world. We hope that the appeal filed by the prosecution in Finland becomes successful” he added. Francois Uzaramba was a pastor of the Baptist mission in Nyantanga village in the former Nyakizu commune now Nyaruguru district in the Southern Province. He is accused of participating in the killing of more than 5,000 people in his church at Nyantanga. Uzaramba is also accused of taking part in the killing of more than 20,000 people at Kyahinda catholic parish in Nyantanga. Karugarama urged all countries to always conduct their independent investigations as opposed to following the speculative and subjective decisions taken by ICTR, where it asserted that Rwanda is unfit to try genocide cases at home. About 15,000 genocide cases have already been successfully tried in Rwandan ordinary courts and 20 percent of those tried have been acquitted and others released on parole or other conditions. 25 percent are performing community service in lieu of prison sentences. The widely acclaimed Gacaca courts have so far tried 1.5 million cases and among these only less than 10 percent of these are serving their prison sentence others released on parole. Ends