KAMUHANDA TRIAL CONTINUES IN CLOSED SESSION

Arusha, February 5, 2003 (FH) - Trial Chamber Two of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda continued hearing testimonies of defence witnesses for the former Rwandan Minister for Higher Education Jean de Dieu Kamuhanda in camera on Wednesday. The twentysecond defence witness testified in open session for less than ten minutes in the afternoon when Kamuhanda's cocounsel Patricia Mongo of Congo Brazaville led the witness briefly in her chief examination.

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During her brief public testimony, the witness named PCD to shield her identity from the public, did not mention Kamuhanda or events of April 1994, which occurred in Gikomero commune where the prosecution alleges that Kamuhanda perpetrated massacres of Tutsis. The witness told the chamber that some Tutsis had sought refuge during the genocide at Gishaka Parish, near her home in in Rubungo Commune. Rubungo Commune borders Gikomero commne. She added that before the death of President Juvénal Habyarimana on April 6th 1994, the Hutus and the Tutsis were living together in harmony at Gishaka sector. Kamuhanda's trial has been held entirely in closed session from Monday, February 3rd. 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/CE/FH (KH0205e)