07.11.07 - ICTR/MILITARY II - GENERAL BIZIMUNGU DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN KILLINGS OF TUTSIS-WITNESS

  Arusha, 7 November 2007 (FH) - The defence witness DB15-8 of General Augustin Bizimungu who was Chief of Staff of the Rwandan Army in 1994, stated Wednesday before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) that the defendant did not participate in killings of 14 Tutsis.

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"I never heard Augustin Bizimungu having conducted nor ever participated in any crime acts involving the killings of 14 tutsis at the neighbourhood of Remera-Rukoma hospital." He declared.
 
The witness who denied to have never seen Bizimungu declared to have heard people saying that tutsis at Remera-Rukoma hospital neighbourhood were killed by interahamwe and Bizimungu has never been mentioned in such crimes.
 
"Bizimungu was not mentioned to have been involved in crimes occurred. And I'm sure that if he participated as he was the most popular person, he could be seen by the people and could have been noticed," he emphasized.
 
Refuting the allegations raised by the prosecutor that Bizimungu orgnanised an assembly near the Remera hospital and thanked interahamwe for having killed 14 Tutsis, the witness said that Bizimungu did not attend any assembly.
 
"I'm confirming that this event had never happened,"he declared
 
Prosecuted for crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, General Bizimungu has pleaded not guilty.
 
His co-defendants include General Augustin Ndindiliyimana, former Chief of Staff of the National Gendarmerie, Captain Innocent Sagahutu, former head of an elite battalion stationed in Kigali and Major François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye. His defence began on 20 September 2004.
 
 
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