Monday, M.Jallow filed a motion requesting the ICTR judges to give the go ahead to the transfer to Rwanda of Fulgence Kayishema, a legal police inspector of the Kivumu Commune, in the prefecture of Kibuye, during the 1994 genocide.
In a speech given on the same day to the personnel of the Tribunal, the Chief-Prosecutor revealed that 16 other transfer requests to Rwanda were going to follow.
On this total of seventeen, twelve are, like Kayishema, accused that are at large while the five others are currently in ICTR custody.
The Prosecutor intends, in addition, to file, before the end of the week, motions aiming at transferring two others accused towards another country.
The transfer of some accused to national jurisdictions, including Rwanda, forms part of the completion strategy of the ICTR, which the Security Council has asked to finish its first instance trials by the end of next year.
The very first request for transfer of an ICTR defendant to a national jurisdiction was accepted by the judges last April. It related to the former tea owner in Rwanda, Michel Bagaragaza, who was handed over to the Dutch authorities.
Since its creation by a Security Council Resolution in November 1994, the ICTR, based in Arusha in northern Tanzania, has rendered, to date, 28 convictions and 5 acquittals. 27 others are currently on trial.
In addition, the Prosecutor has already transferred to Kigali about thirty investigation files which had not resulted in an indictment before the ICTR.
ER/PB/MM
© Hirondelle News Agency