01.10.09 - ICTR/PLENARY - ICTR PLENARY ADOPTS NEW RULE ON EVIDENCE COLLECTION

1 October 2009 By

Arusha, 01 October, 2009 (FH) - The 22nd Plenary session of the judges of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) Thursday adopted a new rule of preservation of evidence and testimonies of witnesses of the 1994 genocide.

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A source told Hirondelle that the Rule 71 bis allows the Tribunal to preserve evidence and testimonies of genocide accused who are still on the run.

‘Many of these witnesses of the 1994 genocide are either aging or dying...This rule will help the Tribunal to collect all possible evidence from them and be used when the suspects are arrested,'' explained the source.

At least 12 genocide suspects are on the run, including the high-profiled Felician Kabuga, who is accused of having financed the 1994 slaughter. According to the UN estimates, about 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in the 100-day bloodbath.

The Plenary is jointly attended by judges of both the appeals and first instance trials.

The ICTR was established in November, 1994 by the UN Security Council to try key suspects of the genocide. Currently, trials are underway for eleven accused in nine cases. The ICTR has so far convicted 39 persons, including six acquittals.

SC/GF