The UK has for the first time charged a person over alleged involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The accused is Dr. Vincent Bajinya, also known as Vincent Brown, 65, a Rwandan who has been living in north London. According to the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Bajinya has been charged with one offence of conduct ancillary to genocide and six offences of conduct ancillary to murder as a crime against humanity. Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said Bajinya is alleged to have directed and incited acts of murder and genocide carried out by others. He will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. Ferguson said the decision to charge Bajinya was made after reviewing a file of evidence submitted by the War Crimes Team at the Metropolitan Police. We concluded that our legal test for bringing criminal charges had been met, he added. The War Crimes Team began its investigation in September 2019 following a formal request from the Rwandan government to investigate people allegedly involved in the Genocide against the Tutsi. The Metropolitan Police said the charges follow a complex and extensive seven-year investigation. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: This case demonstrates the UK is not a safe haven for individuals suspected of committing international crimes. Before this case, the UK had not charged anyone over their alleged role in the Genocide against the Tutsi, despite several fugitives living in the country. The UK had previously faced criticism over its handling of cases involving people accused of involvement in the Genocide against the Tutsi.
