Rwanda genocide trial could drag on longer than expected
Venue for hearing defence witnesses unknown
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The trial in Porvoo of a defendant accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda has hit a snag; the court does not know where and when it could hear testimony from certain African witnesses named by the defence.
The defence in the case of defendant Francois Bazaramba wants to question more than 20 witnesses who live in six different African countries.
A month ago the court announced that it would like to travel to Tanzania to hear the testimony, but Tanzania has not yet decided if it will give the court permission to hold part of the Finnish trial there.
Tanzanian officials have agreed with the Finnish Embassy in Dar es Salaam on a meeting where they will discuss the matter.
“The situation with the trial is not quite satisfactory at the moment”, admits the court’s secretary Petra Spring-Reiman.
A further complication is that few of the African witnesses named by the defence have the necessary travel documents.
The examination of the witnesses would last from three to four weeks.
Spring-Reiman says that it is possible that Tanzania will grant the court permission to convene in Tanzania, as a Canadian court was allowed to hold a similar case in Tanzania in May 2008.
“Cooperation reportedly proceeded well then. That is rather promising from our point of view”, Spring-Reiman says.
A Tanzania trip would be the second time that the court has travelled to Africa to hear testimony. Earlier in the year the court held sessions in Rwanda.
“We will try to find out if a solution on Tanzania will come soon. If it lasts long, we will have to seek other alternatives”, Spring-Reiman says.
If the visit to Tanzania does not materialise, the court will try to hear the witnesses primarily in some other African country, and if that does not succeed, the witnesses would be brought to Finland, which would be “complicated and expensive”, according to Spring-Reiman.
The next witness to take the stand will be a Belgian expert on the development of Rwandan society, who will testify on December 8th.
The defendant, a Rwandan pastor, has been detained since April 2007.
The defence in the case of defendant Francois Bazaramba wants to question more than 20 witnesses who live in six different African countries.
A month ago the court announced that it would like to travel to Tanzania to hear the testimony, but Tanzania has not yet decided if it will give the court permission to hold part of the Finnish trial there.
Tanzanian officials have agreed with the Finnish Embassy in Dar es Salaam on a meeting where they will discuss the matter.
“The situation with the trial is not quite satisfactory at the moment”, admits the court’s secretary Petra Spring-Reiman.
A further complication is that few of the African witnesses named by the defence have the necessary travel documents.
The examination of the witnesses would last from three to four weeks.
Spring-Reiman says that it is possible that Tanzania will grant the court permission to convene in Tanzania, as a Canadian court was allowed to hold a similar case in Tanzania in May 2008.
“Cooperation reportedly proceeded well then. That is rather promising from our point of view”, Spring-Reiman says.
A Tanzania trip would be the second time that the court has travelled to Africa to hear testimony. Earlier in the year the court held sessions in Rwanda.
“We will try to find out if a solution on Tanzania will come soon. If it lasts long, we will have to seek other alternatives”, Spring-Reiman says.
If the visit to Tanzania does not materialise, the court will try to hear the witnesses primarily in some other African country, and if that does not succeed, the witnesses would be brought to Finland, which would be “complicated and expensive”, according to Spring-Reiman.
The next witness to take the stand will be a Belgian expert on the development of Rwandan society, who will testify on December 8th.
The defendant, a Rwandan pastor, has been detained since April 2007.
Helsingin Sanomat