TRIAL WILL NOT RESUME AS SCHEDULED

Arusha, June 6, 2003 (FH) - The trial of six genocide suspects from Butare prefecture, South East Rwanda, which was to resume on Monday 9th at the International Criminal Tribunal has been put off sine die (indefinitely), the Hirondelle News Agency has learnt on Friday. The trial will not resume due to the recent changes at the plenary session affecting the composition of the three Trial Chambers at ICTR.

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One of the judges in Trial Chamber Two Winston Churchill Maqutu of Lesotho was not reelected by the UN Security Council. Judge Asoka de Zoysa Gunawardana (SriLanka) has replaced Judge Maqutu while Judges William Hussein Sekule of Tanzania, Arlette Ramaroson (Madagascar) will continue sitting. The Butare trial was adjourned on March 26, 2003 after the testimony of the twentythird prosecution witness. The trial began on June 13th 2001. The trial groups Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, former Minister of Family and Woman Affairs and her son Arsene Shalom Ntahobali, two former prefects of Butare, Sylvain Nsabimana and Alphonse Ntezirayo and two former Mayors in the same prefect, Joseph Kanyabashi of Ngoma commune and Elie Ndayambaje of Muganza commune. PJ/CE/FH (BT'0606e)