CYANGUGU TRIAL ADJOURNED TO FEBRUARY 12TH

Arusha, February, 1st, 2001 (FH) The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on Thursday adjourned the genocide trial of three former Rwandan officers from the Cyangugu region, southwest Rwanda, to February, 12th. The so-called Cyangugu trial brings together former Transport Minister André Ntagerura, former Prefect of Cyangugu, Emmanuel Bagambiki and former commander of Cyangugu military barracks Lt.

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Samuel Imanishimwe. The three are charged with genocide, complicity in genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, public incitement to commit genocide, crimes against humanity. Imanishimwe is also charged with violations of the Geneva Convention (war crimes). The trial was adjourned after the testimony of the twentieth prosecution witness dubbed, "MA" to protect his identity. Witness MA testified that after the death of former Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana, many roadblocks were raised in Kigali by the army and Interahamwe militia toidentify Tustis and moderate Hutus. The Tutsis and Hutu opponents of the regime were then taken to various prisons where they were mistreated and some of them probably killed, MA said. Witness MA, a Hutu from Cyangugu, lived and worked in Kigali until the beginning of the genocide. He told the court that he moved to Cyangugu at the beginning of the genocide to avoid taking part in manning the roadblocks that were meant to persecute Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Hutus who rejected work at the roadblocks, he said, were considered Tutsi sympathisers and enemies of the state. The case is being heard by Trial Chamber Three of the ICTR composed of Judges Lloyd Williams of Jamaica (presiding), Yakov Ostrovsky of Russia and Pavel Dolenc of Slovenia. The Cyangugu trial is alternating with the trial of former Rwandan mayor Laurent Semanza in Trial Chamber Three. Semanza’s trial is scheduled to resume on March, 5, 2001. GG/JC/FH(CY_0201e)