18.05.09 - RWANDA/UN - KIGALI REITERATES ITS DESIRE TO TRY ICTR CASES

18 May 2009 By

Arusha, 18 May 2009 (FH) - The Rwandan authorities reiterated on Sunday before a delegation of the UN Security Council, on visit to Kigali, their desire to try genocide suspects arraigned by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), reports Hirondelle Agency.

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"Rwanda requests that when ICTR shuts down, the cases (not yet tried) be transferred to Rwanda", stated Rwanda Foreign Minister, Rosemary Museminali, on Radio Rwanda on Monday.

The Security Council has directed that ICTR must finish all first instance trials by the end of the year.

The Rwandan top diplomat also requested that ICTR convicts serve their sentences in Rwanda, which has constructed a special prison to the specifications of the UN standards.

The ICTR judges have so far rejected five prosecution motions aimed at transferring cases to Rwanda.

Kigali affirmed that it was on the verge of lifting the last obstacles to the transfer of cases.

In addition, in spite of an agreement signed with the Tribunal on the enforcement of sentences, no ICTR convict has been sent to serve their sentence in Rwanda.

ER/MM/SC/GF