Finland’s First Genocide Trial for Rwandan

rwandaFrancois Bazaramba, the 58-year old ex-pastor from Rwanda who played a role in the 1994 Hutu-led massacres, will go on trial this week in a Finnish court.

Bazaramba, who denies 15 counts of murder and genocide, sought asylum in Finland in 2003 and has been in detention for the past two years.

Finnish law provides allowances for the court system to try those who have been charged with genocide regardless of where the incidents occurred. In February, Rwanda’s request for Bazaramba’s extradition was denied on the grounds that he would likely not receive a fair trial in the country.

University of Helsinki’s Kimmo Nuotio, professor of criminal law for the faculty, said: “This is significant. It’s important that Finland has taken this responsibility.” Nuotio added, “This is something for which there was no alternative. The Nordic countries have been promoting the development of an international criminal order, that there should be an end to impunity.”

The trial will be held in Porvoo’s district court and is expected to last several months and is one of the country’s highest profile cases ever. Bazaramba has been living in Porvoo, around 50km east of the capital, for some months.

In 1994 around 800,000 moderate Hutus and minority Tutsis were killed. Bazaramba has been accused of orchestrating some 5,000 murders, Reuters reports.

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