Dutch law punishes Genocide deniers

Editor, As a former investigator of the ICTR I am extremely interested in everything that has to do with Rwanda, in particularly with all the aspects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. I knew that Mr. Erlinder was theleading counsel of Major Ntabakuze. Unfortunately, I did not know that Mr. Erlinder denies, for his own account, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. As you probably will know, denying the Shoah, the extermination of the Jews during the Second World War is punishable according to the Dutch law. So, it is quite understandable that Rwandan legislation has the same penalty clause regarding the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. There is no obligation for Mr. Erlinder to consider himself as a friend of the current Rwandan leadership; you can differ in political opinions, but refusing to acknowledge that the massacres of 1994 were Genocide is incomprehensible and extremely painful for all the Rwandans involved. Such opinions might even encourage political abuse by certain persons. Although I’m not interested in his justification, why he doesn’t recognize the killings of 1994 as‘Genocide’, I will, with great interest, await developments. Yours faithfully A.W.L.BalkemaZwolleThe Netherlandsa.w.l.balkema@home.nl

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Dutch law punishes Genocide deniers