27.04.09 - RWANDA/USA - KIGALI TO REQUEST GENOCIDE SUSPECT'S EXTRADITION FROM THE UNITED STATES

Kigali, 27 April 2009 (FH) - Rwanda will request the extradition of a genocide suspect arrested last week in the American State of Kansas (central USA), reports Hirondelle Agency.

0 min 59Approximate reading time

"We will request his extradition so that he is tried on the location of the facts, but if it is not possible, we will request that he be tried in the United States", Spokesperson of Prosecutor General, Augustin Nkusi, was quoted to have told Radio Rwanda

 He said that Lazare Kabaya Kobagaya, initially presented himself as of Rwandan origin, but was actually Burundian.

Kobagaya, who has already obtained American citizenship, was wanted by Rwandan justice for incitement to commit genocide and execution of the genocide in the former commune of Nyakizu, southern Rwanda, according to Nkusi.

According to many testimonies before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and before the popular Rwandan gacaca courts, many Burundian Hutu refugees in 1994 in Rwanda took part in the genocide.

Kigali handed to Bujumbura a list of 696 genocide suspects living in Burundi, according to Nkusi.

Arrested on 23 April, Kobagaya was accused in the United States of having lied during his naturalization process and misused his identity card.

He did not reveal his alleged participation in the genocide during his arrival (in the United States) and during his naturalization process, according to the department of justice in the United States.

If he was found guilty of having lied during his American citizenship request, he faces a ten-year sentence, an immediate revocation of his American citizenship and a fine of 250,000 dollars.

SRE/ER/MM/SC.

© Hirondelle News Agency