800,000 were killed in the 1994 Rwandan genocide

RWANDA. UN COURT REQUESTS GENOCIDE CASE TRANSFER TO RWANDA

June 13, 2007: Days after Rwanda scrapped the death penalty, an international court trying those accused of Rwanda's 1994 genocide has requested the transfer of a case to Rwanda.
According to reports, the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) based in Tanzania has until the end of 2008 to wind up its cases and plans to transfer some of them to countries that, among other requirements, have no death penalty.
Consequently, the ICTR prosecutor has asked for the case of Fulgence Kayishema, a former police inspector at Kivumu prefecture who is still at large, be moved to Rwanda.
Meanwhile, ICTR in its 2001 indictment accused him of genocide, citing him for ordering or planning and encouraging the destruction of a church with more than 2 000 people trapped inside.
"The government of Rwanda has expressed its willingness and readiness to accept and prosecute the accused, with assurances that he will receive a fair trial, that in the event of conviction, the death penalty will not be applied," the ICTR said in a statement.
In an effort to extradite those accused of the 1994 killings of 800 000 ethnic Tutsis and Hutu moderates, who it says are hiding in Europe, North America and West Africa.
Rwanda scrapped the death penalty from its laws last week.
Many governments refuse to extradite criminal suspects to nations that practise capital punishment or torture.
"Rwanda's legal framework guarantees all the safeguards including the protection of witnesses and allowing for the monitoring of the proceedings by monitors appointed by the Prosecutor," ICTR said. (Sources: Somalinet, 13/06/2007)