Hungry for Truth, Peace and Justice

Finland: Rwandan charged with genocide

Topeka man's fraud case related to Finish genocide case
By The Topika-Capital Journal
June 1, 2009

HELSINKI — A Finnish prosecutor has charged a Rwandan man with genocide and murder in his home country in 1994, officials said Monday.

State Prosecutor Raija Toiviainen said the case against Francois Bazaramba, who lives in Finland, will begin later this year. If he is found guilty, Bazaramba will face life in prison. He has denied the charges.

"It's obvious, according to the pretrial investigation, that the man has committed a crime of genocide in the municipality of Nyakizu in April and May 1994 with intent to destroy the Rwandan Tutsis partly or totally," Toiviainen said.

Bazaramba, 58, has lived in Finland since 2003 in the southern town of Porvoo, 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the capital, Helsinki. He has been held in police custody since April 2007, on a court order, while the National Bureau of Investigation conducted the probe.

"I would like this matter to move forward as soon as possible, but it's up to the Porvoo District Court," Toiviainen told The Associated Press.

Porvoo court officials declined to speculate when the case will come up. It will be the Nordic country's first genocide trial.

In a related Kansas case, Lazare Kobagaya, 85, is charged in federal court in Wichita with fraud and unlawfully obtaining U.S. citizenship in 2006. Kobagaya is from the African nation of Burundi and lives in Topeka. Documents filed in the case allege he was a close friend of Bazaramba and joined him in helping lead some of the 1994 attacks and killings of Tutsis.

In February, Finland declined a request by Rwandan officials to extradite Bazaramba, saying he might not receive a fair trial in his home country. The Justice Ministry said its decision was based on a ruling by the International Criminal Tribunal, which has prohibited the referral of similar cases to Rwandan courts.

Toiviainen described the investigation as "especially demanding," with Finnish officers interviewing some 100 witnesses overseas, mostly in Rwanda. Rwandan officials also provided them with evidence, including witness statements.

Bazaramba's lawyer, Ville Hoikkala, told reporters the case should not come to trial because some of the evidence was acquired through torture.

"I'm very aware of these claims by the defense, and they are very serious," Toiviainen said. "We have already investigated them separately, but have found no cause not to go ahead with the trial."

The Rwanda genocide was carried out by Hutu extremists against the Tutsi minority and Hutu moderates. More than 500,000 people were killed in 100 days.

Bazaramba, a Hutu, was a former Baptist priest accused of being a regional organizer of the killings.

Related Materials:
Finland not to extradite genocide suspect to Rwanda

Rwanda: Genocide Fugitive Arrested in the U.S.

Rwandan Government Protests UK’s Refusal to Extradite Genocide Suspects

Another Gift for Kagame

Rwandan Government sets up networks to scout dissenting voices and silence them

posted by Mamadou Kouyate @ 11:20 AM