Tutsi woman testifies for genocide suspect

A Tutsi woman testified yesterday at the International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda in Arusha that she spent two days unharmed in the house of ex-Interahamwe second-in-command Georges Rutaganda in April 1994, Agence Hirondelle, an independent news agency, reported. She said “at least 10 others”, including Tutsis, had sheltered there, and Rutaganda “treated them well”. Another witness said he saw no one detained, beaten or tortured in Rutaganda’s house. The prosecution charges that in April 1994, the Interahamwe leader detained Tutsis at home, had 10 macheted to death, and handed out arms to the Interahamwe. In its opening statement in 1997, the prosecution charged that the attitude of the accused changed at times and he managed to save people. These were sure to testify in his favour, but his “genocidal intentions” were unmistakable, said the prosecution.