Court orders Mugesera quizzed in Kinyarwanda

Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, yesterday, rejected a request by Leon Mugesera to be interrogated in French by prosecutors. Mugesera, known for his incendiary speech that could have played a significant role in sparking off the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, had initially refused to be interrogated in Kinyarwanda, claiming the language he was more conversant with French and had a constitutional right to use. This had been countered by prosecution on grounds that the speech he delivered in 1992 and expected to be central at the time the case starts in substance, was given in Kinyarwanda.During yesterday’s hearing, presiding judge Saudah Murererehe listed a number of reasons as to why she rejected Mugesera’s request of being interrogated in French. “Mugesera claims he has spent 20 years without using Kinyarwanda but before that he spent about 40 years using Kinyarwanda, she said.The suspect, who is a linguistics scholar, was in January this year deported from Canada where he had lived for 20 years having fled the country after delivering the infamous speech. “Also, throughout the court sessions, Mugesera has been speaking in fluent Kinyarwanda. It is on this note that court orders that he be interrogated in Kinyarwanda as a language he understands not a language he opts for as the law stipulates,” ruled Murererehe.Since Mugesera’s deportation, he has appeared before court three times – twice speaking, in Kinyarwanda, and once during the verdict which was passed in Kinyarwanda. The speech he made 20 years ago in the western part of the country, to a gathering of thousands of MRND political party sympathisers, became instrumental in the Genocide. During the speech, he called upon the Hutu to kill Tutsi, whom he repeatedly called different derogatory terms such as cockroaches and scum. Prosecution led by Ndibwami Rugambwa had told court Mugesera wanted to use French as a trick to dilute the context of the speech.He said in the speech that “people are obliged to take responsibility and wipe out this scum and send them back to Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia), their ancestral home, though river Nyabarongo (a tributary of the Nile River).”Interpretation of that speech was the subject of the matter throughout nearly 20 years of legal battles in Canada before Mugesera was finally extradited in January.Addressing the media after the court decision, Mugesera’s lawyer Donat Mutunzi said that they would appeal against it.Meanwhile, the court granted Mugesera a month as he had on Monday requested so that he could put together his team of lawyers, which he said would be made up of seven advocates. Mugesera had during his initial appearance in February requested for two months to prepare his defence. “Mugesera has a right to legal representation and this is why the court finds no reason to deny him the right. He will now have one month to put together his defence team,” said judge Murererehe. He remains in detention at Kigali Central Prison and court ruled that he be returned to court on May 9.

National

Court orders Mugesera quizzed in Kinyarwanda