ICTR to begin two new trials

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) will, by the end of the year, begin two new trial cases involving former Mayor of Kivumu Commune, Western Province, Gregoire Ndahimana, and former intelligence officer Idelphonse Nizeyimana The trial of Ndahimana, according to the ICTR calendar, commences early next month while that of Nizeyimana will take place in November. Ndahimana is charged with genocide, complicity to commit genocide, and extermination as crimes against humanity, while Nizeyimana is charged with genocide or complicity in the alternative, as well as rape as crimes against humanity. A week after his transfer last year from the Democratic Republic of Congo where he had been arrested on a warrant issued by the UN court, Ndahimana pleaded not guilty to all the counts. According to the indictment, Ndahimana is responsible for killing and causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the Tutsi population in Kivumu now in the Western Province. It also states that sentenced clergyman - Athanase Seromba – drew up a list of Tutsi refugees who were absent at the Nyange parish and handed it over to Ndahimana for the purpose of hunting them down. Seromba is currently serving a life sentence after the appeals chamber commuted his earlier 15-year sentence to the heaviest punishment the court can give. Nizeyimana, was arrested in Uganda last year after he sneaked into the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo by bus at the Bunagana border post. He is among several other top Genocide suspects that the US government offered a USD 5 million reward for their capture under its Rewards for Justice Programme. Ends

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ICTR to begin two new trials