Félicien Kabuga, the suspected chief financier of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, will go on trial on September 29 at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), a UN judge announced on Thursday, August 18.“The Chamber orders the trial to commence at The Hague branch with opening statements on September 29, and depositions to start on October 05,” Judge Iain Bonomy announced.Kabuga will be tried on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and related crimes. He has been in the custody of the IRMCT (at The Hague branch) since October 26, 2020, following his transfer to The Netherlands after his arrest in May 2020.Kabuga was considered a Big Fish by the Mechanism and its predecessor, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and his arrest ended a 26-year search.He was originally scheduled to appear in court in Arusha, where the other arm of the IRMCT resides, but judges had ruled he would remain in The Hague “until otherwise decided.” In June, the same bench ruled that Kabuga is fit to stand trial despite the request by defence lawyers that his trial proceedings be halted owing to his ill health.Meanwhile, the judges also ruled that Kabuga will be subject to periodic monitoring by a panel of three independent medical experts, who shall submit a joint report on his fitness before trial at the Trial Chamber every 180 days from the filing of the decision unless otherwise decided.The 87-year-old is also charged with seven counts, including five related to genocide; genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide.Other charges include persecution and extermination – both as crimes against humanity.Known as the Chief Financier of the Genocide against the Tutsi, Kabuga was a wealthy businessman and core member of the Akazu (a small powerful circle of ideologues that masterminded the Genocide).He was also the founding president of the board of shareholders of hate radio RTLM, which incited killings.
