Foreign Courts should bear testimony to Rwanda’s judicial success

For years now, we have witnessed dozens of foreign courts sending legal teams, otherwise known as “Rogatory Commissions,” to Rwanda on missions to investigate crimes committed by genocide fugitives living in their respective countries. Much as this is a good step towards dispensation of justice, very few of these missions have translated into arrests or prosecution of the suspects to account for the death of the over one million victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Some arrests have been made and in some cases fugitives have been tried and convicted in Europe and North America. As we reported yesterday, about four teams from various countries are in the country, carrying out more investigations on indicted fugitives in those countries. These commissions should not stop at gathering evidence on the fugitives. They should also, after witnessing the judicial reforms and effectiveness of this sector in Rwanda, bear testimony to the country’s capacity to try the suspects in the courts here. This will, not only lead to effective delivery of justice, since Rwanda was the crime scene, it will also save these countries part of their budget that would otherwise be spent on these commissions. It does not require one to be a legal expert to discern that conducting a judicial process far from where the crime was committed may lead to distortion of evidence, hence miscarriage of justice. And, most cases take long to complete. We must keep in mind that “justice delayed is justice denied.” Ends

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Foreign Courts should bear testimony to Rwanda’s judicial success