A Belgian court on Monday gave the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) 90 days to confirm its charges against genocide suspect, Protais Zigiranyirazo, alias “Z”. “Z”, also former Rwandan president Juvenal Habyrimana’s brother-in-law, was allegedly the heart of a zero network linked to death squads, Rwanda radio reported. He is wanted by ICTR on suspicion of being a planner and perpetrator of the 1994 genocide. He was arrested in Brussels last Thursday [26 July] on a warrant issued by a Belgian examining magistrate on behalf of the chief prosecutor of ICTR, Carla del Ponte. ICTR has yet to issue the international arrest warrant which would enable his transfer to the court premises in Arusha, Tanzania. “Z” arrived in Brussels by air on 9 June from Nairobi, Kenya. It was discovered at the airport [Brussels] that he lacked appropriate papers. He asked for asylum but was detained at a centre for refugees at the airport ahead of his arrest last week.
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