21.11.07 - ICTR/FRANCE - THE ICTR DIVESTS THE CASES OF TWO RWANDANS ARRESTED IN FRANCE

  Arusha, 21 November 2007 (FH) - The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) divested the cases of two Rwandans, Wenceslas Munyeshyeka and Laurent Bucyibaruta, which it had requested their transfer to France, it was reported Wednesday by an official source in Arusha.   

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Munyeshyaka, a catholic priest, was an official at the parish of the Holy Family in the heart of Kigali; whereas Bucyibaruta was prefect of Gikongoro, in the south of the country.
 
The two men had been living for several years in France, where legal investigations were started against them. Rwanda, for its part, has already sentenced Munyeshyaka in absentia to life in prison in November 2006. Bucyibaruta is wanted by Rwanda.
 
These decisions, made by the chamber Tuesday, led to the rescinding of the transfer orders on which the Court of Appeal of Paris was to render a decision this Wednesday.
 
On 13 August, at the request of the ICTR prosecutor, arrest warrants had been issued against the two men by the president of the tribunal, Judge Dennis Byron.
 
These divestitures are the ICTR's first for the benefit of French courts. A preceding case that was divested for the benefit of Dutch courts was cancelled because the court was likely to declare that it did not have jurisdiction;
 
PB/ER/MM

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