Search
  1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Rwanda

Amnesty concerned over effectiveness of judiciary

    NAIROBI

    Human rights advocacy group Amnesty International has expressed concern over the effectiveness of some of the judicial measures taken by the government of Rwanda to bring to justice those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1990 to 1994 armed conflict and genocide in the country.

    In a report released on Wednesday listing several concerns, Amnesty said that while it welcomed measures aimed at ensuring that genocide trials met internationally recognised standards, it criticised the government's reluctance to investigate violations committed by its security forces.

    Amnesty said that the Rwandan government should ensure that the presumption of innocence was maintained until the suspect's guilt was proved beyond reasonable doubt.

    Among other recommendations, it said the government should stop arbitrary arrests by observing the legal safeguards contained within its Code of Criminal Procedure; take measures to protect the independence of the judiciary at all levels and to ensure that judicial officials are able to carry out their functions without interference.

    Regarding "Gacaca" - a communal judicial system introduced by the government to expedite genocide trials - Amnesty said the government should ensure that the defendants got adequate time to prepare their defence; had the opportunity to call, to examine and cross-examine witnesses; were accorded the right to appeal their conviction and sentences; and to ensure that the gacaca sessions were open to the public, including human rights monitors.

    At the international level, Amnesty said, Rwanda should cooperate fully with the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda by ensuring "unhindered access" to Rwandan sites and witnesses in their investigations of those accused of genocide and crimes against humanity.

    Amnesty also made recommendations to Rwanda regarding civil and political rights, refugees, freedom of expression, the media and human rights abuses by Rwandan security forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    [The Amnesty International summary of concerns is available online at: http://web.amnesty.org/]

    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

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join