On 26 June 2009, the Defence closed its case in the trial of Ephrem Setako, who was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Rwandan Armed Forces and Director of the Judicial Affairs Division of the Rwandan Ministry of Defence. The trial commenced on 25 August 2008.

Colonel Setako, born in May 1949, is charged with six counts of genocide, or alternatively complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity (murder and extermination), as well as violations of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol II. He pleaded not guilty to all counts.

The Prosecution completed its case on 22 April 2009 after having presented 21 witnesses. The Defence commenced its case on 4 May 2009 and led 35 witnesses. In all, 56 witnesses were heard in the course of 60 trial days. The case was closed subject to some procedural matters.

The Prosecution team was led by Senior Trial Attorney Ifeoma Ojemeni-Okali, and included Christiana Fomenky. Setako is represented by Lennox Hinds (USA) and Cainnech Lussiaà-Berdou (Canada). The case is heard by Trial Chamber I, composed of Judges Erik Møse (Norway), presiding, Sergei Alekseevich Egorov (Russian Federation) and Florence Rita Arrey (Cameroon).