CYANGUGU TRIAL ADJOURNED TO OCTOBER 9th

Arusha, September 21st, 2000 (FH) - The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on Wednesday adjourned to October 9th the trial of the three genocide suspects linked to crimes in the Cyangugu region of southwest Rwanda. This trial groups former Transport Minister André Ntagerura, former prefect of Cyangugu Emmanuel Bagambiki, and the ex-commander of Cyangugu military barracks Samuel Imanishimwe.

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They are jointly accused of genocide and crimes against humanity. On Wednesday, the ICTR heard the first two witnesses in the trial, which opened on Monday September 18th. The expert witnesses were both investigators for the prosecution. They showed photographs, maps, videocassettes and drawings of massacre sites in the prefecture of Cyangugu. These sites included Cyangugu cathedral, the parishes of Nyamasheke, Mibilizi and Hanika, and the Kamarampaka stadium. Speaking at the start of the trial on Monday, prosecutors said the three accused had acted together in the same criminal enterprise, namely trying to eliminate the Tutsi population from Rwanda, and especially Cyangugu. The prosecution says that more than 100,000 Tutsis were massacred in Cyangugu prefecture in the space of 23 days. Ntagerura, Bagambiki and Imanishimwe are accused of planning, inciting, ordering and facilitating these massacres. They are also charged in connection with the acts of their subordinates. All three accused have pleaded not-guilty. AT/JC/FH (CY%0920e)