The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) will next week hear a motion from the Rwandan government asking leave to appear as amicus curiae (or ‘friend of the court’) in the trial of genocide suspect Theoneste Bagosora and others, the independent Hirondelle news agency reported on Thursday. Rwanda is seeking the restitution of property it claims was stolen from genocide victims. The request, dated 20 April 1998 and signed by former justice minister Faustin Ntezilyayo, asks the court “to order the restitution of property stolen, looted and taken away by the accused, to return the property or any proceeds derived from them to their real owners.” The government alleges that Bagosora and his co-accused looted defence ministry records, assets and funds. Bagosora was an adviser to the defence ministry during the 1994 genocide and is regarded by Rwanda as one of its main architects. The prosecution wants to try him along with three former commanders in the former Rwandan army: Anatole Nsengiyumva, Alloys Ntabakuze and Gratien Kabiligi.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
Share this article