ICTR judges expected over Ngirabatware case

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda Judges in the case of former Minister of Planning, Augustin Ngirabatware, will soon travel to Rwanda for a five-day tour of alleged crime sites, The New Times has learnt. Ngirabatware, 52, is charged with nine counts which include; Genocide, Conspiracy to Commit Genocide; Complicity in Genocide and Direct and Public Incitement to Commit Genocide.Others are; Crimes against Humanity for Murder, Extermination, Rape, Inhumane Acts and Serious Violations of the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II.According to a court decision issued early this week, three judges and representatives of prosecution and defence will visit 28 sites in Kigali and its environs, Gitarama (Muhanga) in the Southern Province and Gisenyi (Rubavu) in the Western Province.Meanwhile, the closing arguments in Ngirabatware’s case, which is the only remaining trial at first-instance at the ICTR, will be heard in June this year. The judges are expected in the country on May 21.The Prosecution insists that the accused is individually responsible for killing Tutsi in the then Gisenyi Prefecture, and raping Tutsi women, as part of a widespread or systematic attack on civilians.Ngirabatware was arrested in Germany in 2007 and transferred to the ICTR detention facility in Arusha, Tanzania in 2008.The former minister, whose trial kicked off in 2009, has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

National

ICTR judges expected over Ngirabatware case