Uwinkindi granted 4-month trial delay

The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, yesterday, granted Genocide suspect Jean Bosco Uwinkindi a four month delay as requested, to prepare his pre-detention hearing. Uwinkindi, who was transferred to Rwanda from the ICTR last week, had on Thursday requested the recess on grounds that the prosecution has ‘serious’ accusations against him. During the Thursday hearing, Uwinkindi had told the court that he needed four months to set up his defence counsel and revise his dossier. His lawyer, Gatera Gashabana, also backed his client’s argument saying that he met with his client in the courtroom arguing that he was yet to go through his dossier as well. Judge John Byakatonda made several references to international laws and conventions before granting Uwinkindi his request. “In February this year, this same court granted Leon Mugesera two months to prepare his defence counsel. If we deny Uwinkindi his request, we wouldn’t be offering fair justice. It is on this note that the court grants Uwinkindi the four months he requested,” stated Byakatonda. The Judge reminded Uwinkindi that it is in his benefit to have the case tried in the earliest time possible. Uwinkindi, a former pastor with the Pentecostal Church in Kanzenze, Bugesera, in the former Kigali-Rural Prefecture, is charged with genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity. He is accused of unleashing killers on thousands of Tutsi refugees during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

National

Uwinkindi granted 4-month trial delay