Survivors hope prosecutors appeal Canada Genocide suspect’s case

The Ontario Superior Court in Canada on Friday acquitted Jacques Mungwarere of Genocide crimes on grounds that the prosecution could not prove beyond doubt that he was guilty.Mungwarere, who was arrested in November last year by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on a tip-off by a citizen, becomes the second Genocide suspect to be charged on Canadian soil, following the conviction of Desire Munyaneza who was in 2009 handed a life sentence.“Although we may not be happy with his acquittal, we have to respect the decision of the court. For now, we haven’t read the verdict, after reading it, we will make an informed opinion,” said the spokesman of the Rwandan Prosecution, Alain Mukuralinda.While delivering the verdict Judge Michel Charbonneau said Mungwarere had been acquitted on grounds that prosecution witnesses had conflicting accounts, at some point.Reacting to the development, Dr Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, the president of Ibuka, an umbrella organization of Genocide survivors, observed that the acquittal is a result of how the dossier was packaged by prosecution.“We need to add more efforts especially on our side (of Rwanda), with the Genocide survivors giving information that’s relevant and consistent with the charges. Concerning this particular case, we hope prosecution will appeal and we need the prosecution to appeal and we need the witness to support the prosecution,” he said.Mungwarere claimed asylum in Canada in 2001 and was granted refugee status in 2002.A former school teacher, Mungwarere was arrested in his home in Windsor, Ontario, following cooperation between the Canadian police and Rwanda’s Genocide Fugitive Tracking Unit.Mungwarera who taught at ESPANA school in the former Kibuye Prefecture, now in the Western Province, had been accused of participating in killings at Mugonero Hospital, Murambi Adventist Church, and in Bisesero.The tip-offAccording to Canadian media, In early 2003, a certain Hiram Gahima unexpectedly encountered a childhood friend from Rwanda on a Windsor City Bus; he immediately knew something was wrong.Mungwarere seemed uncomfortable. He avoided eye contact with Gahima and dodged questions about what he’d been up to since the two had last seen each other nearly 15 years earlier.Mungwarere “mumbled and jumbled” his way through the brief conversation and declined to give Gahima his contact information. Gahima was stumped.Gahima started asking around, and that is when he came across stories of Mungwarere’s alleged involvement in the 1994 Genocide, including tales of three survivors and witnesses.Then, in what Gahima says was “a letter from the community,” concerns about Mungwarere were reported to Canada’s Immigration department and the police.Gahima’s call led to Mungwarere’s arrest which resulted in his appearing in court.Besides the two trials, Canada last year extradited to Rwanda Leon Mugesera, who is currently facing Genocide-related charges.

National

Survivors hope prosecutors appeal Canada Genocide suspect’s case