United Nations Wire

September 29, 2000

RWANDA: Journalists' Genocide Trial To Resume Next Month

The trial of three journalists convicted in connection with Rwanda's genocide will resume next month, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda announced Tuesday (Reuters/CNN.com, 27 Sep).

The trial of Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza, Hassan Ngeze and Ferdinand Nahimana opened earlier this month, but was delayed so judges could consider several defense motions (BBC Online, 28 Sep). The defense motions have been dismissed. The ICTR says the trial will hear opening arguments on 23 October.

The three men are charged with conspiracy and incitement to commit genocide and crimes against humanity. Rwanda's media played a large role in a 100-day killing spree in 1994 that left some 800,000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead (Reuters/CNN.com).

UN Launches New Victim-Focused Initiative

Meanwhile, the ICTR has launched a new victim-focused initiative to support survivors of the genocide. The Support Program for Witnesses and Potential Witnesses will assist victims by providing legal guidance, psychological counseling, reintegration assistance and rehabilitation services (UN Newservice, 27 Sep).

"The restitutive justice program will facilitate national reconciliation and peace in Rwanda, since a victim who has received the requisite assistance toward recovery will be better disposed to reconciliation than one who has not," said ICTR Registrar Agwu Okali. "The idea of restitutive justice is thus the future direction of international criminal justice."

The program will be implemented by five Rwandan nongovernmental organizations, Okali said (Xinhua News Agency, 28 Sep).