RWANDAN POP STAR TRANSFERRED TO UN TRIBUNAL TO FACE GENOCIDE CHARGES

Arusha, March 28, 2002 (FH) - Genocide suspect and Rwandan musician Simon Bikindi was on Wednesday transferred from a Dutch detention centre to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to face genocide charges. Bikindi, 48, was arrested on July 12, 2001 in Leiden, the Netherlands, by Dutch authorities at the request of the ICTR Prosecutor.

He has since lost a legal battle against his extradition to the ICTR. The former director of Indiro ballet, who was one of the most popular musicians in Rwanda, is notably charged with having composed and performed songs demonising Tutsis and inciting Hutus to kill Tutsis. Bikindi's music has been banned in Rwanda since the end of the 1994 genocide. Bikindi is charged with six counts of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide andmurder and persecution as crimes against humanity. An estimated one million Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were killed in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda according to an official survey by the government of Rwanda. Bikindi was an official in the ministry of youth and sports and a member of the ruling MRND party in 1994. GG/JA/FH(SB-0328e)

Republish
Justice Info is on Bluesky
Like us, you used to be a fan of Twitter but you're disappointed with X? Then join us on Bluesky and let's set the record straight, in a healthier way.