Sweden extradits genocide suspect to Rwanda – KT PRESS
Sweden has deported the genocide suspect Jean-Paul Micomyiza to Rwanda to respond to the allegations about his role in the 1994 genocide of the Tutsis in southern Rwanda.
Micyomyiza, 49, who was a student at the National University of Rwanda (NUR) at the time of the genocide, was extradited at the request of Rwanda. The National Prosecutor’s Office (NPPA), which submitted the request for extradition, welcomed the development.
“The Public Prosecutor’s Office praises the judicial authorities in the Kingdom of Sweden for the extradition of the genocide refugee, continued cooperation and mutual legal assistance, as well as contributions to the global effort to fight impunity,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Sweden gave the green light earlier this month for the extradition of Micomyiza, to Rwanda, where he is accused of involvement in the genocide against the Tutsis.
This happened three months after a Supreme Swedish court on 21 December 2021 found no reason why the Rwandan arrested in the Nordic country in 2020 should not be extradited to Kigali where he is wanted for crimes he is alleged to have committed during the genocide in Butare Commune 1994 , now the Huye district.
The prosecutor’s office spokesman, Faustin Nkusi, said the extradition process was going to court.
“So, first of all, we prepared a request for extradition and submitted it to the Kingdom of Sweden in 2020. So they began the process of assessing and reviewing our request, regarding the allegations that were allegedly made by Micyomyiza.”
“Of course he was sent to the domestic courts in Sweden where he was brought to justice and afterwards they handed down a verdict ordering that he be taken to Rwanda to be tried by our domestic courts,” said Nkusi.
He said there were no objections that could stand in the way of extraditing him to Rwanda as requested. He said Micyomyiza will face three charges so far as well, including genocide, complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity.
“These crimes were committed in the southern province. Micyomyiza was a student at the National University of Rwanda at the time and he played a major role in committing genocide crimes against Tutsi, complicity in the genocide and committing crimes against humanity at the time. He fled the country in 1994. .
“That is why he was taken and is now here and we hope that others who remain will be picked up afterwards. Sweden has also corrected three other genocide refugees with their domestic words and they are currently serving a life sentence,” says Nkusi.