Genocide case opens in Canada

A man accused of participating in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, starts his war crimes trial by judge today in Ottawa.Jacques Mungwarere, 39, is the second Rwandan to be prosecuted under Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act, which was introduced in 2000 and allows for prosecution no matter, where or when an alleged war crime may have been committed.Mungwarere originally asked for a trial by judge and jury, but suddenly changed his mind the day of jury selection April 30.His case was set to be relatively unique among war crimes trials in that he had chosen to have his case heard before both a judge and a jury. War crimes cases are almost exclusively presided over by judges.Mungwarere was arrested in 2009 in Windsor.The former school teacher, is alleged to have led and participated in mass killings of civilians, including notorious massacres in two churches and a hospital in Kibuye, in western Rwanda.In all, the Genocide against the Tutsi claimed more than 1 million people during a 100-day period.Mungwarere was tracked beginning in early 2003 after being recognised by a childhood friend from Rwanda on a city bus in Windsor, where he settled after immigrating to Canada in 1998.The first person prosecuted under the act is Desire Munyaneza, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2009.

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Genocide case opens in Canada