In the first genocide trial ever organized in Finland, Pastor François Bazaramba, who has lived in Finland since 2003, was convicted of acts of genocide in June 2010 by the lower court of Itä-Uusimaa, although he was acquitted of several of the murder charges. The Helsinki appeal court confirmed the conviction in March 2012.
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected his last possible appeal.
Bazaramba’s lead counsel Ville Hoikkala might bring the case before the European Court for Human Rights. He claims that prosecution witnesses testified after being tortured.
According to different sources, the Finnish Justice Ministry spent an estimated US$1.8 million on the case
Bazaramba was arrested in April 2007. His trial opened in September 2009 after Finland had refused to extradite him to Rwanda, saying he might not receive a fair trial in his home country.
ER/GF
