27.04.09 - ICTR/NSHOGOZA - NSHOGOZA: CLOSING ARGUMENTS IN CONTEMPT TRIAL ON WEDNESDAY

27 April 2009 By

Arusha, 27 April 2009 (FH)-The closing arguments in the trial of Rwandan lawyer, Leonidas Nshogoza, accused of of contempt of UN Court, will start and finish on Wednesday, according to press release issued by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

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The prosecution presented five witnesses in the trial which began on 9 February whereas the defence presented eleven, including the accused himself.

Nshogoza has been accused of having tried to subvert court of justice in the trial of a former Rwandan Minister for Culture and Education, Jean de Dieu Kamuhanda, who was sentenced to imprisonment for remainder of his life in 2004 and a year later it was re-confirmed by the UN Appeals Court.

At ICTR, a person convicted of contempt of court faces a maximum sentence of five years or a fine of US $ 10,000 or both.

The first victim of this offence was a protected prosecution witness dubbed "GAA" who was sentenced to nine months imprisonment in December 2007 after being found guilty of contempt of court by the UN Tribunal.

SC/GF