ICTR: Kalimanzira's trial begins

For background on the Rwandan genocide, click here.

The trial of former Acting Minister of the Interior Callixte Kalimanzira began at the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda (ICTR) on May 5th. In respect to coordinating the massacres of an estimated 800,000 Tutsis in 1994, Kalimanzira is charged of genocide, complicity in genocide and with direct and public incitement of genocide. Of course, the defendant is pleading not guilty to all charges. According to the chief prosecutor, Kalimanzira played a "key role" as victims of genocide will be directly testifying in court.

In other news, Kenya has frozen the assets of a Felicien Kabuga, a wealthy Hutu business man and the currently most wanted suspect tied to the Rwandan genocide. The US has a $5 million bounty on his head, according to Reuters. Testimony in the ICTR has found that his transactions have been "substantially interfering" with prosecution witnesses at the court.

The ICTR has thus far convicted twenty-eight former-Rwandan government ministers, members of parliament and military officers for various degrees of complicity during the 1994 genocide.

Currently, there is tension between the UN Security Council and international criminal tribunals regarding the mandate of the ICTR. The Security Council has directed all first instance trials to close by the end of the year and all appeals to be concluded by 2010. As some lawyers point to the fact that steps have been taken to facilitate a transition of jurisdiction to Rwandan courts, closing the court prematurely will be a detrimental move in promoting impunity.