Nizeyimana to be arraigned next week

ARUSHA - Genocide suspect Idelphonse Nizeyimana will next week make his initial appearance before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). According to the ICTR schedule, Nzeyimana’s appearance will take place on Wednesday before Judge Khalida R. Khan in Courtroom I of the tribunal. The initial appearance will be broadcast live via the ICTR satellite. The Ugandan Police on Tuesday arrested Nizeyimana after he sneaked into the country by bus from the Bunagana border post from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. During his first trial at the tribunal, the ICTR Registrar’s office will read to the accused the indictment which pins him on different Genocide crimes and he will be asked to either plead guilty or not guilty. Nizeyimana is among several other top Genocide suspects that the US government offered a $ 5million reward for their capture under its Reward for Justice Programme. Many have predicted that the Arusha based tribunal is likely to be overwhelmed by the number of cases it has to handle especially that arrests are being made at a time when its judges have until next year to close shop. Nizeyimana’s arrest on Tuesday came a day after the ICTR Chief Prosecutor pleaded to the East African Community to amend its treaty to allow the East African Court of Justice take over its remaining cases. His arrest comes a few months after that of Gregoire Ndahimana, another top Genocide suspect who was also hiding in the DRC. Ends

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Nizeyimana to be arraigned next week