The Prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda Mr. Hassan Bubacar Jallow today handed over, in compliance with the Tribunal’s Referral Chamber’s order, the material supporting the Indictment against Ladislas Ntagazwa and other relevant evidence in his case file to Mr. Alphonse Hitiyaremye, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Rwanda’s National Prosecution Authority.
On 8 May 2012, the Referral Chamber granted Prosecutor’s application for the referral of the case of The Prosecutor v. Ladislas Ntaganzwa, Case No. 9609-R11bis, to the Republic of Rwanda for trial. That decision became final on 23 May 2012 when the time for appeal expired.
The Indictment charges the Accused, who was the former mayor of Nyakizu commune in Butare, with genocide; direct and public incitement to commit genocide; and extermination, murder, and rape as crimes against humanity.
The handover ceremony took place at the ICTR in Arusha, Tanzania. It marked the completion of a week-long official mission of senior Rwandan prosecutors to the ICTR that was led by Deputy Prosecutor General Hitiyaremye.
During the ceremony, Deputy Prosecutor General Hitiyaremye thanked Prosecutor Jallow for his efforts in securing the referral of this case to Rwanda for trial. He noted that this was the fourth case to be successfully referred to Rwanda in recent months. This “great achievement,” he noted, has opened the door to the extradition of genocide suspects living around the world as evidenced by the growing list of national courts who have likewise confirmed Rwanda’s ability to fairly adjudicate transferred cases.
Prosecutor Jallow expressed his confidence that the responsible Rwandan officials would ensure the fair trial rights of the Accused in this case and the other ICTR cases that have been referred. “The successful referral of this and other cases to Rwanda is an important step in the ICTR’s completion strategy and helps ensure that those responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda do not escape with impunity.”
Prosecutor Jallow further noted that, as part of its order, the Referral Chamber has issued a Warrant of Arrest and Order for Transfer of the Accused to the custody of Rwanda. He called upon all States that are members of the United Nations to lend their continued support to Rwanda’s efforts to apprehend the Accused in this case, as well as the fugitives in the two other cases (Charles Sikubwabo and Fulgence Kayishema) that have been referred to Rwanda for trial.