RWANDA TRIBUNAL TO RESUME HEARINGS NEXT WEEK

Arusha, January 22, 2002 (FH) - The International Criminal Tribunal forRwanda (ICTR) is set to resume genocide trials on Monday January 28th, twoweeks later than originally scheduled. Its three courts suspended hearingsin mid-December for an end-of-year judicial break.

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Two trials are set to restart on Monday 28th: the case of former Bicumbimayor Laurent Semanza, which has been put back from January 21st; and thatof former Higher Education minister Jean de Dieu Kamuhanda. The case ofSeventh Day Adventist pastor Elizaphan Ntakirutimana and his son Gerard hasbeen put back from January 14th to February 4th. The Semanza trial was adjourned last November 28th, after the testimony of23 factual defence witnesses. The defence plans to call three expertwitnesses and Semanza himself, before it closes its case. This case isalternating before Trial Chamber Three with the so-called "Cyangugu case"of three genocide suspects, which is set to resume on March 4th. Kamuhanda's case was adjourned last September 25th, after the hearing of 12prosecution witnesses. It is alternating before Trial Chamber Two with twoother cases: the so-called "Butare trial" of six accused (set to resumeMarch 4th); and the case against former Rwandan mayor Juvénal Kajelijeli(set to resume April 8th). Trial Chamber One is due to resume hearings on February 4th with the trialof Seventh Day Adventist pastor Elizaphan Ntakirutimana and his son Gerald. This case was suspended last November 2nd, after the prosecution closed itscase. Hearings will resume with the start of the defence case. TheNtakirutimanas trial is alternating with the so-called "Media trial" ofthree accused, which is due to resume on February 18th. New CaseOn April 2nd, Trial Chamber Three is due to start the long awaited trial offour former military leaders, including genocide suspect ThéonesteBagosora. Bagosora was advisor (chef de cabinet) at the Rwandan defenceministry and is thought to be one of the main architects of the 1994genocide. He is to be tried with three senior commanders in the formerRwandan army: Anatole Nsengiyumva, Aloys Ntabakuze and Gratien Kabiligi. SW/JC/FH (CL-0122E)