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Information, Documentation and Training Agency, Arusha (Tanzania): International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)

ICTR - Emmanuel Rukundo, military chaplain

OCTOBER 25, 2002
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ICTR/RUKUNDO

DEFENCE DENOUNCES DEFECTS IN INDICTMENT

Arusha, 25 October 2002, (FH) - The defence of the priest Emmanuel Rukundo, accused of genocide, has denounced the defects in his indictment, on Friday, at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

French lawyer Philippe Moriceau, who is defending the clergyman, said the indictment against his client "is an intellectual speculation" which
contains nothing to support the charges. According to the lawyer, the document concerned bears no relation to an indictment except in appearance. "This is not something legal, but (at a pinch) historical" he said.

According to Moriceau, the indictment's relation "to the law is that of darkness to the light".

Moriceau particularly criticised the prosecution for having put in facts relating to the period for which the ICTR is not responsible. Mr Moriceau
explained that the prosecution induced crimes "through a supposition relating to before 1994" [when the Rwandan genocide occurred in which around one million people were killed.]

The indictment stipulates for example, "Emmanuel Rukundo was a notorious extremist. He hated Tutsis. Ever since 1973, or around that date, he fought his Tutsi colleagues at the seminary in Kabgayi".

The deputy prosecutor Gregory Townsend, US, replied that the prosecution had wanted to put the charges into context, by giving the facts before 1994.

Father Emmanuel Rukundo, 43 years, was chaplain in the military camps of the Rwandan army in 1994. He was one of three catholic priests detained by the ICTR along with Fathers Hormisdas Nsengimana and Athanase Seromba. An Anglican bishop, Samuel Musabyimana, and an Adventist pastor Elizaphan Ntakirutimana are also detained in Arusha.

Emmanuel Rukundo was arrested in Switzerland in July 2001 and transferred to Arusha on 20 September. His trial has not yet started. The defence request is being heard by Trial Chamber III of the ICTR presided over by Judge George Williams of St Kitts and Nevis.
JA/AT/CE/FH (AT-1025e)


SEPTEMBER 26th 2001

ICTR/RUKUNDO

FORMER MILITARY CHAPLAIN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO GENOCIDE

Arusha, September 26th, 2001 (FH) - Former military chaplain Emmanuel Rukundo on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to four charges of genocide and crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

"I would like to confirm to you that I'm innocent as I have always said loud and clear," the 42-year-old Rukundo told the court at the end of the hearing.

According to his indictment, "Emmanuel Rukundo was known as an extremist. He hated the Tutsi. Since about 1973, he fought against his Tutsi colleagues at the Petit Séminaire of Kabgayi (junior seminary in Gitarama province, central Rwanda)".

At the time of the April to July 1994 genocide in Rwanda, he was serving as a chaplain with the former Rwandan army. The Prosecutor says that in April and May he regularly visited places in Kabgayi where Tutsi refugees had gathered, hunting people to be killed.

"He was always escorted by soldiers and Interahamwe (extremist Hutu militia) while he was hunting Tutsi refugees to kill," reads the indictment. "During his visits he brought a list that he used to call on the Tutsi and control their whereabouts. Afterwards he passed the list to the soldiers and Interahamwe who took the persons included in the list to kill them."

"Emmanuel Rukundo ordered, instigated, encouraged, aided, abetted the searching out of the Tutsi, passing through house by house and visiting the facilities of the diocese of Kabgayi and the parish of Gitarama, to identify the Tutsis to be killed," continues the indictment.

Rukundo is also accused of denouncing his Tutsi colleagues, many of whom were killed, and going to a convent in Butare, southern Rwanda, in May 1994 "to hunt Tutsi who were still alive to kill them".

The Prosecutor quotes him as having said in February 1994 that: "Tutsis are a people to destroy, we must fight against them by all means"; and after the genocide: "They had just got what they deserved… They looked for it."

Rukundo left Rwanda after the victory of the pro-Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) in July 1994, which ended the genocide. He took refuge in Switzerland where he was arrested on July 12th this year. Rukundo was transferred to the ICTR detention facility in Arusha last Thursday.

On Wednesday, the accused first tried to get his initial appearance postponed, arguing that he had not had time to understand the "judicial subtleties" of his indictment. However Norwegian judge Erik Mose, sitting alone on the bench, rejected his request.

The accused was represented by Tanzanian duty counsel Bharat Chada. Prosecution was led by Silvana Arbia of Italy.

At the end of the hearing, Rukundo demanded the return of documents and objects he claimed were seized at the time of his arrest. Judge Mose told him he should bring this up through a motion at a later date.

GG/JC/PHD/FH (RK_0926E)


SEPTEMBER 21st 2001

ICTR / RUKUNDO

SWITZERLAND HANDS PRIEST TO RWANDA TRIBUNAL

Arusha, September 21st, 2001 (FH) A Rwandan priest arrested in Switzerland at the request of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was on Thursday transferred to the United Nations Detention Facility (UNDF) in Arusha, Tanzania, official sources confirmed.

Former catholic military chaplain Emmanuel Rukundo is wanted for genocide and crimes against humanity for his alleged role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Following his arrest on July 12th this year, he mounted a legal challenge through the Swiss courts. However, the federal court there dismissed his appeal against transfer to the ICTR.

Rukundo is the first catholic clergyman to be arrested by the ICTR. A catholic priest, Athanase Seromba, has also been indicted and the ICTR is pressing Italy to arrest him.

Already in detention are an Anglican bishop, Samuel Musabyimana, and a Seventh Day Adventist pastor, Elizaphan Ntakirutimana. Pastor Elizaphan's joint trial with his son began before the ICTR last Tuesday.

The ICTR Prosecutor charges Rukundo with four counts of genocide or, alternatively complicity in genocide; murder and extermination as crimes
against humanity.

AT/JC/FH (RK_0921e)

JULY 12th, 2001
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ICTR/ ARRESTS

RWANDA TRIBUNAL MAKES THREE MORE ARRESTS IN EUROPE

Arusha, July 12th, 2001 (FH) - A former finance minister, a catholic military chaplain and a musician were on Thursday arrested in three European countries on arrest warrants from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), official sources confirmed. All three face genocide charges.

Former minister Emmanuel Ndindagahizi was arrested in Belgium, according to ICTR spokesman Kingsley Moghalu. Ndindagahizi was Minister of Finance in the Rwandan interim government in place during the 1994 genocide. Charges against him include genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, extermination and murder as crimes against humanity.

Musician Simon Bikindi was arrested in the Netherlands. Bikindi was a well-known composer and singer whose songs were used during the war and genocide, notably on "hate radio" Radio-Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM). He is charged with conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide or alternatively complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, murder and persecution as crimes against humanity.

Emmanuel Rukundo was arrested in Switzerland. At the time of the genocide in Rwanda, he was a military chaplain in Ruhengeri prefecture, northwest Rwanda and then transferred to the capital Kigali. He is charged with genocide or, alternatively, complicity in genocide; murder and extermination as crimes against humanity.

ICTR spokesman Moghalu said these arrests were "very important developments" in the work of the Tribunal and "another sign of the effective cooperation that we are receiving from states". He said he hoped the three would be transferred to the UN prison in Arusha as soon as possible.

Moghalu also said the arrests showed that the ICTR had a "thematic and geographic strategy" to its indictments. It has arrested alleged planners, financiers and supporters of the genocide, he said, "and now we have added a musician".

Rukundo is also the first catholic cleric to be arrested by the Tribunal. It has already in its custody a Seventh Day Adventist Pastor, due to go on trial shortly, and an Anglican bishop. Moghalu could not say whether any of the accused arrested Thursday might be joined to other accused for trial.

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