ICTR investigating genocide suspect in London

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) is working on the case of a genocide suspect currently living in London, tribunal spokesman Kingsley Moghalu told IRIN on Friday. The case of Colonel Tharcisse Muvunyi, who was the army commander in Butare and Gikongoro prefectures where tens of thousands of people were killed in the 1994 genocide, was highlighted by the British daily ‘The Times’ earlier this week. “We are aware of the case and we are working on it,” Moghalu said. On Wednesday, Anastase Murunva, the secretary-general of the Rwanda genocide survivors’ organisation Ibuka, added his voice to that of the Rwandan government requesting that Muvunyi stand trial. “Muvunyi should be judged and punished in an exemplary manner,” Murunva said in an interview with the BBC Kinyarwanda service. He added that Rwanda had handed “irrefutable proof” to the relevant authorities, including Britain. “I don’t think there was a shortage of proof. I believe the British justice has taken too long to act,” he said.

Britain, which has no extradition treaty with Rwanda, said the ICTR should take the lead in investigations to determine Muvunyi’s case. “We have worked in support of the ICTR,” a Foreign Office spokesman told IRIN. “If the ICTR fails to come up with a conclusive decision on the case, then Britain would look into the legal possibility of getting involved,” he said. “But as it stands, Britain has no extra territorial agreement or obligations with Rwanda on the extradition of genocide suspects.”