\nArusha, 12 July 2008 (FH) - The main hearing of this week at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was that of the former
\nHead of Catholic College in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, Father Hormisdas Nsengimana, who testified on his own defence.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe defence started its case in June.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nThe former Rector of Christ the King College claimed before the UN Court that he had not betrayed his priestly vows.\n<\/p>\n
\nCalmly and clearly. he countered point-by-point the charges alleged against him by the prosecutor, and, finally, he showed that the witnesses
\nwho had come to testify against him coordinated their testimonies.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe Chamber, charged with trying him will travel, with the parties, to Rwanda, in Nyanza next week to make site visit of the alleged crimes
\ncommitted by the accused.\n<\/p>\n
\nIn the trial known as \"Military II\", the first witness for genocide-accused Major Fran\u00e7ois Nzuvonemeye testified and claimed before
\nthe Chamber his high regard for the former officer of the reconnaissance battalion.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe witness also exonerated Nzuvonemeye, and also the men of this elite unit, from any responsibility in the genocide. Five other witnesses are
\nscheduled to testify for the accused next week.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe \"Karemera Trial\", which was deferred for two weeks, only resumed on Tuesday due to lack of witnesses Monday.\n<\/p>\n
\nMeanwhile, the Appeals Chamber will on 29 August deliver its judgment for Lieutenant Colonel Tharcisse Muvunyi, sentenced in first instance to 25
\nyears in prison. The judgement will be preceded by hearing of an appeal of Fran\u00e7ois Karera, former prefect of rural Kigali, sentenced to life in prison on 7 December 2007.\n<\/p>\n
\nIn another development, the Final Court of Appeal in France annulled the extradition to Rwanda of Claver Kamana rendered by the Court of Appeal of
\nChambery.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe extradition, if it would have succeeded, would have been the first one accepted by France to Rwanda. The ICTR Prosecutor had used the initial
\ntransfer approval to Rwandaof Kamana as among his basis to transfer a genocide accused, Yusuf Munyakazi, a former businessman, held at the UN
\nDetention Facility in Arusha.\n<\/p>\n
\nPB\/MM\/SC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Arusha, 12 July 2008 (FH) - The main hearing of this week at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was that of the former Head of Catholic College in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, Father Hormisdas Nsengimana, who testified on his own defence. The defence started its case in June.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[555],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-15466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hirondellenews"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n