Fulgence Kayishema indicted for his position in Rwanda’s deadliest genocide episodes denies involvement, looking for asylum.
Ex-Rwandan police officer Fulgence Kayishema, accused of collaborating within the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has deserted his utility for bail and utilized for asylum in South Africa, prosecuting authorities introduced on Tuesday.
Kayishema, who has been on the run since 2001, was arrested final month underneath the false title of Donatien Nibashumba on a grape farm exterior Cape City.
The Worldwide Felony Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) had indicted him for genocide for his alleged position within the destruction of the Nyange Catholic Church, one of many bloodiest episodes within the 1994 Rwandan genocide, killing 2,000 individuals.
Kayishema faces 54 costs in South Africa, together with some associated to immigration fraud, the Nationwide Prosecuting Authority (NPA) introduced in a press release and added that the 62-year-old accused “has deserted his bail utility and can as an alternative launch an asylum utility right now”.
The assertion, nonetheless, didn’t point out on what grounds Kayishema was making use of for asylum. Spokespersons for NPA and the defence crew didn’t instantly reply to requests from the Reuters information company for additional data.
Greater than 800,000 Rwandans, most from the Tutsi ethnic group, have been killed throughout 100 days of violence by forces and vigilantes from the Hutu ethnic group. 1000’s of average Hutus have been additionally killed within the violence, thought-about one of many worst atrocities of the twentieth century.
On the Nyange church, Hutu militia lobbed grenades after which doused it with gas to set it ablaze. When that failed, they knocked down the church with bulldozers, and most of these hiding inside died.
He has denied any involvement in violence through the genocide, however has stated he was “sorry” for the killings throughout his courtroom look within the South African metropolis of Cape City in Might.
Kayishema’s arrest left solely three fugitives indicted by the worldwide tribunal whose whereabouts stay unknown. South African police stated the arrest was made in response to an Interpol purple discover.
He stays in custody and the case was postponed to August 18 for additional investigation.
