Colonel Tharcisse Renzaho, former prefect of Kigali-ville during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has been arrested and transferred to the Detention Facility of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania. He was arrested on 29 September in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), pursuant to Rule 40bis of the Rules and Procedure and Evidence of the Tribunal.

The Registrar, Mr. Adama Dieng, who was in Kinshasa, welcomed the support of the Congolese authorities in effecting the arrest, which falls with the context of reinforcing the process towards the creation of peace and stability in the region. He also praised the commitment by President Joseph Kabila to help the Tribunal identify and arrest other suspects who are still at large.

The arrest of Colonel Renzaho is the first of its kind to be carried out in the DRC and is the third arrest since the announcement of the U.S. Government’s Rewards for Justice campaign identified nine high-profile suspects. Col. Renzaho was born in 1944 in Gasetsa sector, Kigarama Commune, Kibungo Prefecture.

Duty Counsel has been assigned by the Registrar to represent him until he engages Counsel of his own or is assigned Counsel under the rules of the Tribunal.

Under Rule 40bis, the Prosecutor can request the arrest, transfer and provisional detention of a suspect in the ICTR detention facility if there is reliable and consistent evidence that the suspect may have committed a crime over which the Tribunal has jurisdiction. Such an order may also be issued where the judge considers provisional detention necessary to prevent the escape of the suspect, physical or mental injury to or intimidation of a victim or witness or the destruction of evidence or is otherwise necessary to the conduct of the investigation.

Within 30 days of the transfer, the Prosecutor must submit an indictment for confirmation by the judge. The provisional detention can be extended for a period not exceeding 30 days for the needs of the investigation. If warranted by special circumstances, a further extension period not exceeding 30 days may be granted. The total period of provisional detention of a suspect under Rule 40bis can in no case exceed 90 days.