A UN court on Friday, March 10, temporarily suspended the hearing of the prosecution's evidence in a trial of genocide mastermind Felicien Kabuga following a medical report that stated that he is “too ill to stand trial.” The medical report was commissioned by The Hague-based court, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), which is trying Kabuga. ALSO READ: Genocide: UN Court to rule on Kabuga’s fitness to stand trial According to IRMCT, it is appropriate to first suspend the evidentiary hearings “pending the resolution of the issue of Kabuga's fitness” to stand trial. “Considering further that the trial Chamber will benefit from an examination in a court of Independent Medical Experts to guide its decision on the future course of this trial,” read part of the statement. ALSO READ: Kabuga rewarded Interahamwe for killing Tutsi – witness In addition, it is anticipated that the chamber will hear oral submissions from the parties immediately following the testimonies of the Independent Medical Experts unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Furthermore, current modalities will remain in force for these hearings, including 90-minute court sessions with a 15-minute break and the suspect will attend by video conference if he chooses to participate. ALSO READ: Kabuga Trial: Witness testifies on role of Simon Bikindi’s songs during rallies The court was hearing from prosecution witnesses pinning Kabuga on playing a key role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in which more than one million people were killed. Kabuga, who was a wealthy state-connected businessman during the Genocide, was arrested in May 2020 in the French capital Paris, ending a 25-year manhunt for one of the most wanted fugitives.
