TRIAL ADJOURNED UNEXPECTEDLY DUE TO A SICK WITNESS

Arusha, March 18, 2003 (FH) - A sick witness on Tuesday caused a brief interruption of the socalled Butare Trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Trial Chamber Two of the ICTR had to adjourn the hearing unexpectedly to Wednesday after the prosecution informed the court that the witness who was to start her testimony in the afternoon was unwell.

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The prosecution attorney, Jonathan Moses told the court that the witness dubbed QY for protection of identity arrived in Arusha on Monday but was unwell. Her baby whom she is travelling with was also sick. QY is the twentythird prosecution witness. QY was to testify after another witness dubbed SD who had completed her testimony. SD testified on Monday and part of Tuesday. She completed her testimony with crossexamination by four defence counsels. The Butare trial groups former Minister for Family and Women's Affairs Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, and her son Arsène Shalom Ntahobali, former Butare prefects Sylvain Nsabimana and Alphonse Nteziryayo and former mayors of Ngoma Joseph Kanyabashi and Muganza, Elie Ndayambaje. During crossquestioning by Nyiramasuhuko's cocounsel Guy Poupart of Canada, SD said she saw Nyiramasuhuko attending meetings at Butare prefecture office. SD was among Tutsi refugees who took refuge at Butare prefecture in April 1994. Poupart had asked her if she was sure she saw Nyiramasuhuko at the prefecture as alleged in her chief evidence on Monday. She said Nyiramasahuko was among about hundred government officials who attended meetings on several occasions. The trial is before Trial Chamber II composed of Judges William Hussein Sekule of Tanzania (presiding), Arlette Ramaroson (Madagascar) Winston Churchill Matanzima Maqutu (Lesotho)PJ/AT/FH (BT'0318e)