Germany Opens First Rwanda Genocide Trial

18 January 2011

Onesphore Rwabukombe, 53, is photographed by media as he waits for the beginning of his trial at a court in Frankfurt, central Germany, 18 Jan 2011

Onesphore Rwabukombe is standing trial in Frankfurt accused of murder, genocide, and incitement to both.

The prosecutor Christian Ritscher charges Rwabukombe ordered the killing of more than 3,000 people during the Rwandan genocide. Ritscher said the Tutsis who were killed were seeking refuge in a church.

It is the first trial in Germany related to the Rwandan genocide.

A legal advisor with the London-based human rights group Redress, Jurgen Schurr, says it is crucial that European courts try suspected genocide suspects.

"These trials of course send the important signal that these countries do not accept to provide a safe haven to suspects of such crimes," said Schurr.

Schurr says the international policing organization Interpol has issued red notices for almost 100 Rwandans living in Europe who may have been involved in the country’s genocide.

"A lot of them are living often under known addresses in European countries, such as particularly in France, in Belgium, but also in the United Kingdom, in the Netherlands as well as in Italy, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. So, we see that they are fairly widespread currently living in European countries," added Schurr.