Africa News of Friday, 2 October 2020

Source: bbc.com

Judges named for Rwanda genocide suspect's trial

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The UN tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania, has appointed three judges to conduct the trial of Rwandan genocide suspect Félicien Kabuga.

Scottish Judge Iain Bonomy will preside the chamber assisted by Uruguayan Judge Graciela Susana Gatti Santana and Ugandan Judge Elizabeth Ibanda-Nahamya, the UN court said in a statement.

On Wednesday French top court backed Mr Kabuga extradition to the UN court. But his lawyer wants him to be tried in The Hague, citing the coronavirus pandemic and his client's health and age.

France's extradition law says that Mr Kabuga needs to be transferred to Arusha within a month.

Mr Kabuga is alleged to have backed and armed ethnic Hutu militias who slaughtered about 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. In May, he described the accusations as "lies".

He was arrested near Paris in May after evading capture for 26 years.