Genocide suspect Murekezi arrested in Malawi

Media reports from Malawi indicate that Genocide fugitive Vincent Murekezi has been arrested from the southern African country. Murekezi’s arrest that was reported Thursday morning by Malawian newspapers follows controversy surrounding his recent arrest and release under unclear circumstances. It was reported last month that Murekezi had managed to acquire a Malawian citizenship despite an outstanding indictment containing details of his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi especially in Huye District, where he lived during the Genocide. A Gacaca court in the area tried and convicted him in absentia. “Mr Murekezi has been arrested. He is being held at Area 30 police headquarters. Police are waiting for directives from government on the process of extradition,” a police officer told a Malawian newspaper, Nyasa Times. When contacted, Faustin Nkusi, the spokesperson for the National Public Prosecution Authority said that his office was yet to get any official communication from their counterparts in Malawi, to confirm the development. “It is something we would welcome if indeed he has been arrested. However, we have not heard from our counterparts, which is the standard procedure,” Nkusi said on phone. According to the Malawian newspaper, a visit by its reporters to Murekezi’s home in Area 49, Lilongwe proved the law enforcers stormed the house in the morning and picked the genocide suspect, whom they said was taken into custody at the central region police before he was moved to the police headquarters. Murekezi, a naturalized citizen of Malawi, may be charged with using forged documents including a fake Rwandan passport to acquire Malawian papers. Malawi has no extradition treaty with Rwanda but based on the gravity of the Genocide charges in Rwanda and the use of fake documents presented while processing the citizenship, Malawian officials are likely to revoke that citizenship and deport him to his country of origin. Some countries have taken this approach on other genocide fugitives. These include Canada, the United States and Norway. According to prosecution, at least seven indicted Genocide fugitives currently live in Malawi.

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Genocide suspect Murekezi arrested in Malawi