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Two former ministers say genocide court "unfair"

    NAIROBI

    Two former government ministers and genocide suspects on Wednesday asked the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha to assign them Canadian lawyers, the Internews service reported. The two, former foreign minister Jermone Bicamumpaka and former interior minister Edouard Karemera, protested a "discriminatory ban" on assignment of defence
    attorneys from France and Canada. "The charges against me are so serious that the assignment of counsel is extremely important," Internews quoted Bicamumpaka as saying. "The policy of excluding French and Canadian lawyers is discriminatory...This is a serious prejudice," he said. The ICTR has declared a temporary ban on attorneys from the two countries, saying there are already too many French and Canadian lawyers at the tribunal.

    Meanwhile, the genocide trial in a Kigali court of Catholic bishop Augustin Misago was adjourned for the third time on Wednesday until 26 October, Rwanda News Agency (RNA) reported. It was adjourned to give the prosecution and defence time to prepare and call their witnesses.

    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

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