It was reported this week that judges at ICTR provided the guidelines during hearing of the appeal in the case of Colonel Theoneste Bagosora, Major Aloys Ntabakuze and Lieutenant-Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva as the session scheduled between March 30 and April 1, 2011, is around the corner.
The Chamber invited Bagosora and prosecution to discuss, among other things, his ability to issues orders to the Rwandan Armed Forces between April 7 and 9, 1994, a period which he is alleged to have exercised effective control over the army and gendarmerie as the Defence Minister was on mission.
It wants Ntabakuze and the prosecution to address on the sufficiency notice provided to him by his indictment that he was being charged for crimes committed by militiamen and whether a defect in such respect, if any, was cured and his ability to prepare his defence was materially impaired.
Whereas for Nsengiyumva, the Chamber wants the parties to discuss, among others, the sufficiency of the notice provided to him that he was charged for aiding and abetting killings of Tutsis committed by militiamen in Bisesero area, Kibuye prefecture in the second half of June 1994.
Another event covered includes the request by the Tribunal to Egypt to provide assistance to the defence for ex-Rwandan Planning Minister Augustin Ngirabatware to meet with its citizen who allegedly possesses information regarding allegations against the accused.
It was reported also that the Tribunal will deliver judgment in the case of former Rwandan Director in the Ministry of Women and Family Affairs, Jean-Baptiste Gatete, on March 29, 2011, and conduct appeal hearing involving ex-military officer, Lieutenant Colonel, Ephrem Setako, on the same day.
Before the ICC in The Hague, the trial of Jean-Pierre Bemba resumed on March 14 and the court received evidence of prosecution witness code-named 29, who claimed, among others, to have been raped by Bemba's militias when they attacked her village in October 2002.
While in France, five Human rights organizations called upon the French government to do everything possible so that the Special investigative unit to be created soon becomes effective to speed up the way France prosecute genocide and crimes against humanity. This project is due to be presented in Senate on April 14.
FK/GF
© Hirondelle News Agency