20.05.10 - ICTR/RUKUNDO - FATHER RUKUNDO'S APPEAL CASE HEARING SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 15

20 May 2010 By

Arusha, May 20, 2010 (FH) - The Appeals chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) will hear on June 15 the appeals lodged in the case involving Rwandan Roman Catholic Priest Emmanuel Rukundo, who was sentenced by the lower court to 25 years in jail.

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On February 27, 2009, Trial Chamber II of the UN-Tribunal convicted former military chaplain Rukundo (51) of genocide, extermination and murder.

Both the defense and the prosecution appealed.

According to the judgment, the priest played a role on at least four occasions in the abduction and killing of Tutsis who had sought refuge at St. Leon Minor Seminary in Gitarama area, Central Rwanda.

Rukundo was arrested in Switzerland in July 2001 and transferred to the ICTR detention facilities two months later. His trial began in November 2006.

Two other priests, Athanase Seromba and Hormisdas Nsengimana were charged before the ICTR with genocide offences. Seromba was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Tribunal acquitted Nsengimana after finding him not guilty of the offence. He is now living in Northern Italy.

Another Rwandan priest, Father Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, has been indicted by the ICTR, but his case was transferred to the French Judiciary for trial.

FK/ER/NI/GF