Members of the Finland judiciary will arrive in the country next week to continue with the trial of Genocide suspect François Bazaramba, The New Times can reveal. A former pastor at a Baptist church in the Southern province, Bazaramba is accused of planning and carrying out massive killings during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. “His trial actually started on Tuesday and the Finland team will be here by next week to continue with it,” an official with the National Public Prosecution Authority, told The New Times in an interview. The jury to include two judges, will jet into the country to interview twenty five witnesses who are testifying in the case. During the trial in the Finish district of Porvoo, the court ruled that the 58-year-old Genocide suspect should be handed a life sentence for the atrocities he committed. The prosecution said that Bazaramba committed Genocide with the intent to destroy partly or totally a large population of the Tutsi. Bazaramba, 58, sought asylum in Finland in 2002 and has been in detention since 2007. His trial in Finland has raised many questions with many arguing that this may create an impunity gap especially for many Genocide suspects who haven’t faced justice. “Rwanda should be priority in handling such cases because this is the place from where the crimes were committed. But since there is a second option, we can go with that. We welcome the second option because there are countries that cannot even afford applying it.” The NPPA official added. Norway will try another Genocide suspect, Michel Bagaragaza, who is accused of ordering the killing of hundreds of Tutsis who had sought refuge in a cathedral during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) still has a long list of wanted Genocide suspects still at large, including Felicien Kabuga, a man referred to as the “financier of the Genocide”. Prosecution at the Arusha-based tribunal has continually insisted that the biggest number of the remaining twelve suspects is holed up in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ends
