The Specialised Chamber for International Crimes of the High Court will mid this month be relocated to its new premises in Nyanza District, according to the Judiciary. According to Harrison Mutabazi, the spokesperson for the Judiciary, the chamber has been hosted within the offices of the High Court in Kigali since its establishment in 2012. “The building is nearing completion and we are now fitting technological facilities because such courtrooms must be well-equipped. We think very soon, in April, everything will have moved from Kigali,” Mutabazi told The New Times. Mutabazi says that all court’s judges and clerks will move to Nyanza. The facility will also have a wing for prosecution as the National Public Prosecution Authority also has a department that tackles international crimes. In October 2015, the Supreme Court signed a memorandum of understanding with Horizon Construction Company to build the Rwf2.3 billion complex in Busasamana sector, funded by the Government of Rwanda and the Netherlands. “The building will help the chamber meet international standards in terms of logistics to ensure safety of files and documents,” Mutabazi added. High Court Chamber of International Crimes was established in 2012 with the mandate to try persons accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity extradited from foreign countries and from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The chamber also hears cases of human trafficking. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
