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Catholic bishops concerned over popular tribunals

[Togo] Opposition protest April 6, protesters carry anti-French, anti-ECOWAS banners. IRIN
Des manifestants exigeant leur inscription sur les listes électorales
    LOMÉ

    Catholic bishops in Rwanda have expressed concern over the proposed establishment of popular tribunals, known as "gacaca".

    During a meeting with Prime Minister Pierre-Celestin Rwigema recently, they said that while they appreciated this move by the Rwandan government to speed up genocide trials, they were concerned the tribunals "might become an instrument of
    injustice, especially if they were not well prepared". Their comments were reported by 'Kinyamateka', the mouthpiece of the Rwandan Catholic church.

    According to the same publication, Rwanda's prison population had
    decreased from 130,000 to 122,000.

    The Rwandan authorities recently announced they would promulgate an organic law establishing the "gacaca" which would operate at four levels - cellule, secteur, commune and prefecture - and try accused people in the second and third categories of Rwanda's genocide law. Defendants will have the right of appeal to a superior court. The law defines four categories of genocide crimes, with first category defendants accused of planning and
    executing the genocide.

    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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