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Human skulls from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda
A priest accused of genocide and crimes against humanity during
the 1994 Rwandan genocide has been acquitted, the second release in
as many days, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
said.
The UN court ordered the immediate release of Father Hormisdas
Nsengimana, who was a priest at a Catholic secondary school during
the three months of slaughter of some 800,000 Tutsi and moderate
Hutus in 1994.
The court said it could not conclude that Nsengimana, 55, was
guilty of any of the crimes, which included killing Tutsi priests,
a judge and other Tutsi victims.
"The Chamber did not find a sufficient factual and legal basis for
concluding that Nsengimana was guilty of any of the crimes," the
tribunal said.
The prosecution said Nsengimana was at the centre of a group of
Hutu extremists that planned and carried out targeted attacks and
participated directly in killings.
Nsengimana has been in prison since his arrest in Cameroon in
2002.
He is the second indicted person to be released by the ICTR,
based in Arusha in northern Tanzania, in as many days.
On Monday an appeals chamber acquitted Protais Zigiranyirazo, known
as "Mr. Z", of genocide and extermination after he was previously
sentenced to 20 years.
Judges reversed the conviction citing several serious factual and
legal errors.
ICTR spokesman Roland Amoussouga said the acquittals were not a
disappointment for the court.
"It's not a sign of a problem," he said by telephone. "This is to
show you that the justice system is not one way - it can go both
ways.
He said that so far 39 people have been convicted of 47
cases.
"It's an incredible record of efficiency on the part of the
prosecution. This is the first stage of the process, now we have to
see whether the prosecution will appeal today's judgment," he
said.
