Zigiranyirazo trial to go Upcountry next week

The trial of Protais Zigiranyirazo, known as M.Z, a brother-in-law to former President Juvénal Habyarimana, will go next week to the location of the alleged crimes as well as Kigali, it was learned from an official source Wednesday. It will be the third time that a chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) goes to Rwanda. As in the preceding occasions, the defendant will not be part of the trip. In the Rwandan capital, judges, representatives of the prosecutor and defence counsels will visit the former presidential residence of Kanombe, now a museum. According to the prosecutor, the defendant would have taken part, in the night of 6 to 7 April 1994, in the creation of a list of people to be killed. During this trip on location, which will last from Monday to Friday, the judges and the parties will also go to the native village of the defendant in Gasiza, in the former prefecture of Gisenyi. They will also cross the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo to visit the site of a former refugee camp where Zigiranyirazo stayed after having fled his country in July 1994. The trial of Mr. Z has been adjourned since April. On its return, the chamber will continue to hear the testimonies of defence witnesses for a session which will last until December 14, and which should be the last. Accused of genocide and crimes against humanity, Zigiranyirazo, who has pleaded not guilty, has been calling his witnesses since October 2006. The trial began on October 3, 2005. First published in Hirondelle News Agency (Lausanne)