Handing down the decisions, Judge Vagn Joensen said he allowed the prosecution to disclose materials to the authorities of those countries provided information concerning the protected witnesses was “treated confidentially and only revealed to parties” in the national proceedings.
The US investigation is into Béatrice Munyenyezi, wife of Arsène Shalom Ntahobali, who was sentenced to life imprisonment and is now on appeal. The witnesses concerned are BYQ and GIO, who testified before the ICTR in the trials of former Rwandan Minister André Rwamakuba and ex-army officer Ildephonse Hategekimana. Rwamakuba was acquitted while Hategekimana was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The identity of the persons under investigation in Canada were not revealed. The witnesses concerned are AZM and FAC, who testified in the trial of former Rwandan official Callixte Kalimanzira, currently serving a 25-year jail term.
The MICT has taken over some of the residual tasks of the ICTR as it winds down. These decisions were taken in the framework of MICT cooperation with national authorities investigating Rwandan genocide suspects on their territories.
FK/NI/JC
