Justice and Crime in Rwanda

Justices and Crime in Rwandan

 

Summary of the topic Compilation and editing 📖🖋️ Gathering by✍️

Dr.Mohammad Shakibi Nejad

Senoir of the Faculty of Judicial 

SciencesÉlément Concernant ✒️📋

Élément Concernant ✒️📋

Prior to the Rwandan genocide,the final death sentences in Rwanda were carried out in 1982. Reportedly, 54 Common prisoners were executed in Sep 1982, the last time non Political prisoners would be executed in Rwanda.retentionist in law but abolitionist in practice causes although they retained the death penalty, they didn't use it often in Addition 1992, the then president of Rwanda issued a series of death sentence commutations.

Originally.,

Tribunals that took place between late 1996 and early 1998 sentenced over 165 people to death for their involvement in perpetrating the Rwandan genocide.

Of those, 35 people involved were scheduled for execution on 24 Apr in Kigali, but for an unknown reason, only 22 of the executions were carried out. Some of those executed didn't have defense attorneys, and several prospective defense witnesses were intimidated out of testifying.Approximately 21 people were sentenced to death in Rwanda in 2003 & all were convicted of crimes related to their involvement in the Rwandan genocide; there were a total of 450-500 people put on trial in 2003 for genocide relatedly crimes,many of whom were convicted during a mass trial. Those who were convicted but not sentenced to death had sentences ranging from 1-25 years to life imprisonment; there were at least 37 acquittals as well.Rwanda announced its intentions to no longer apply the death penalty. In June 2007, Rwandan Member of Parliament (MP) voted to remove the death penalty as an applicable sentence. 

Foot note 👇

[Part II, para 99 The World Conference on Human Rights on Human Rights recommends that the General Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights and other organs and agencies of the United Nations system related to human rights consider ways and means for the full implementation, without delay, of the recommendations contained in the present Declaration, including the possibility of proclaiming a United Nations decade for human rights. The World Conference on Human Rights further recommends that the Commission on Human Rights annually review the progress towards this end].

A significant part of their motivation was rooted in the Rwandan government's desire to have fugitive suspects in the Rwandan genocide extradited so they could be tried in Rwanda rather than in other abolitionist countries. Some countries that don't have the death penalty, including the European, North American & West African countries where the suspects were believed to have fled, refuse to extradite people to countries that utilize torture & capital punishment in fears that those extradited people will be tortured or executed upon their return. 

Foot Note🔽

[The mandate of OHCHR derives from Articles 1, 13 and 55 of the Charter of the United Nations, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and General Assembly resolution 48-141 of 20 December 1993, by which the Assembly established the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.In connection with the programme for reform of the United Nations (A-51-950, para.79) the OHCHR and the Centre for Human Rights were consolidated into a single OHCHR on 15 September 1997]

The he promulgation of the law banning the death penalty, Rwanda simultanéité l'y takes an important step forward in ensuring respect for the right to life & makes further progress in bringing to Justice those responsible for the heinous Crimes of the 1994 genocide.Arbour's statement also acknowledged that the abolition would promote other countries to extradite suspects in the Rwandan genocide so that they could face Rwandan Courts.

✒️🗒️📍The achievement of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands

ICC ,in The Hague opened the trial Thursday of one of the last major suspects in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, an 87-year-old businessman and radio station owner who is accused of helping fund and promote the mass killings.

Confined to a wheelchair, Felicien Kabuga refused to appear in person or via video link at the start of the trial, citing a dispute regarding his lawyer, but judges ruled the case must go forward.Kabuga's lawyers argued unsuccessfully that he was not fit to stand trial. However, on the advice of doctors who examined him, the process will run for just two hours per day.

Opening the trial Thursday, the ICC prosecutor told the court, 28Yr after the events, this trial is about holding Felicien Kabuga accountable for his substantial & intentional contributions to that genocide.

He said Kabuga supplied weapons in bulk & facilitated the training that prepared the paramilitary group that used them.

Kabuga has pleaded non guilty to the charges. He faces life in prison if convicted.

Reference of Source ⏬

1️⃣https://fivebooks.com/best-books/rwandan-genocide-philip-gourevitch

2️⃣https://www.vie-publique.fr/rapport/284672-france-rwanda-et-le-genocide-des-tutsi-1990-1994-english-version

3️⃣https://repository.law.umich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1076&context=mjil

4️⃣https://cla.umn.edu/chgs/holocaust-genocide-education/resource-guides/rwanda

5️⃣https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/40846-rwanda-the-most-judged-genocide-in-history.html

Thanks :

Dr. William.J.Mill, Director of the Department of International Law, NY University

And Special Thanks

Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda; Kinyarwanda: Urukiko Mpanabyaha Mpuzamahanga Rwashyiriweho u Rwandan