The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), yesterday, handed over Fulgence Kayishema’s file to the Rwandan Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga. The tribunal ruled that upon arrest, Kayishema should be returned to Rwanda to face trial. The suspect is the former head of the judicial police in the then Kibuye prefecture. “Kayishema is still at large but this category of cases is also part of those that could be transferred to our national jurisdiction,” said Ngoga. “We are happy this trend of trust is being sustained and we are hoping to have more cases transferred in the near future”. “If he was arrested today, he would be handed over to Rwanda,” the Prosecutor General said. According to the ICTR indictment, Kayishema is accused of four counts of Genocide, extermination as a crime against humanity, conspiracy in Genocide and conspiracy in committing Genocide.Last year, the ICTR referred the first suspect, Jean Uwinkindi, to Rwanda for trial and the prosecution has been battling with finalising the process of his transfer to Kigali.“Uwinkindi is yet to be relocated from Arusha, but that is due to logistical issues that are being worked on. The substantive part is finished,” said Ngoga. Uwinkindi, a former Pentecostal pastor, was arrested in Uganda in June 2010 on counts of Genocide, Conspiracy to Commit Genocide and Extermination as a Crime against Humanity. He is alleged to have led several groups of armed killers targeting Tutsi civilians in multiple attacks that spanned the 100 days of the Genocide between April and July 1994. Closely allied to the extremist wing of the MRND party, Uwinkindi is alleged to have sought the assistance of gendarmes within the ex-FAR to exterminate the local Tutsi population. In July 1994 when he fled, 2,000 corpses were discovered near his church.Meanwhile, on April 12, the ICTR trial chamber will be hearing applications for transfer of another case, that of Bernard Munyagishari.According to the 2005 indictment against Munyagishari, as a commander of the Interahamwe, Munyagishari created a special unit for the rape and murder of Tutsi women.He was arrested on May 26, 2011 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and transferred to the ICTR.
