Six persons out of the eight who were arrested in Nairobi, last month, in connection with the 1994 killings in Rwanda, appeared before a Judge of the Intemational Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda yesterday, during which the Prosecution presented motions requesting the extension of their detention for another 30 days.
Judge Laïty Kama, the President of the Tribunal, granted extension to the detention of Jean Kambanda, the former Prime Minister of Rwanda, after the prosecution argued that it was yet to complete its investigations. Kambanda had earlier said that he had no objections to the extension, adding that he also did not want to be represented by any legal counsel at this stage of the proceedings.
An inter partes hearing in the case of Mr. Hassan Ngeze, a former Editor in Chief of a newspaper 'Kangura' was adjourned to Monday, August 18th, after his legal counsel, Mr Wamuti Ndengwa, assisted by Mr. Kamau Ngata, from Kenya, argued that they could not proceed with the case because they had just received the prosecution documents.
Ruling in the prosecution' s motions in the cases of George Ruggiu, a Belgian journalist who worked with Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines; Aloys Ntabakuze, a former commander of the Para-commando battalion of the Rwandan armed forces; Sylvain Nsabimana, a former prefect of Butare; and Colonel Gratien Kabiligi, a former Chief of Staff in the Rwandan armed forces, will be delivered on Monday, August 18th.
Earlier the Prosecution prayed for the extension of the detention period arguing that it was yet to complete investigations in the cases because, apart for the complexities involved, there was more evidence being gathered from the Rwandan Government archives, recently made available to the Tribunal's investigators.
Rule 40bis (F), of the ICTR Rules of Procedure and Evidence stipulates that at the end of the 30-day detention period, a Judge may decide, at the Prosecutor's request and subsequent to an inter partes hearing, to extend the detention for a further period not exceeding 30 days.