ICTR prosecution seeks life sentence for musician

ARUSHA - The prosecution team in the trial of famous Rwandan musician has asked the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) to imprison him for life, the highest punishment that the court can pass. Simon Bikindi,a former civil servant in the Ministry of Youth and Culture and the director of Irindiro ballet, is accused of using his songs to incite genocide. Presenting his closing arguments in the case, the head of the prosecution team, William Egbe said Bikindi had widespread influence in Rwanda prior to the 1994 Genocide and was a very close confidant of the ruling MRND and Juvenal Habyarimana. Egbe also said that Bikindi was a shareholder of the infamous RTLM radio which the genocidaire government used to spread propaganda inciting Hutus to kill Tutsis. “As a well known composer of music and an official within the ministry of youth, Bikindi through his music and influence at RTLM incited and indoctrinated Hutus encouraging them to brutally murder the Tutsi.He symbolized the image of Habyarimana and his government,” said Egbe. Egbe said Bikindi’s songs like Bene Sebahinzi, Nanga Abahutu and Twasezereye Ingoma ya Cyami, incited the Hutus to kill Tutsis before the latter turned against them. “Bikindi’s music promoted Hutu unity, the non return of Tutsis from exile and the MRND used these songs to recruit the Interahamwe militia,” he said. Egbe said the musician had not shown any remorse since his arrest and during the trial and should be imprisoned for life. He requested that a guilty verdict be passed by the court on the counts of, conspiracy to commit genocide, Genocide, complicity in genocide, persecution, and direct and public incitement to commit genocide. Bikindi’s lead counsel Andreas Oshea from South Africa said his client was a good person who helped many Tutsi survive the 1994 Genocide. He continued that Bikindi saved many Tutsis in Gisenyi. “Bikindi assisted a number of Tutsi during the genocide and most of them today owe their lives to him,” argued the lawyer. A renowned musician prior to 1994 and a resident of Gatenga, a Kigali suburb, Bikindi escaped along with many senior leaders of Habyarimana’s regime through Gisenyi to Eastern Congo. He was arrested by Dutch authorities in 2001 and brought to the ICTR in Arusha in the same year where he has been in detention. The trial chamber is composed judge Ines Monica Weinberg de Roca (presiding), Florence Rita Arrey and Robert Fremr. Sentencing in Bikindi’s case was adjourned to an unknown date by presiding who along with Florence Rita Arrey and Robert Fremr have been hearing the case. Ends

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ICTR prosecution seeks life sentence for musician