1994 Genocide against Tutsi Chief Sponsor Felicien Kabuga’s defense lawyer has brought other delaying tactics and ploys for his trial citing unfitness to stand trial. Now, they are calling for an immediate end to the trial due to fabricated medical reports of Kabuga suffering from “dementia”.
Since Kabuga was arrested in Asnières-sur-Seine, France, his family that helped him evade justice for 28 years, embarked on campaign to whitewash the mastermind of Genocide against Tutsi. Several times, people witnessed unashamed demonstrators holding placard reading “Kabuga is innocent”; that happened in Europe; the move intended to portray the notorious genocidaire as innocent, hence acquit him on genocide counts.
On the other hand, his family and lawyers were in constant campaign to delay the trial by providing an array of false excuses. On various occasions Kabuga’s lawyers parroted that “Kabuga is not fit for the trial due to his deteriorating health conditions.”
All these ploys have never stopped Kabuga’s trial and will never, the trial will proceed to ensure justice is served to his victims. In June 2022, the UN Court presiding judge Iain Bonomy declared that Kabuga was fit for trial and should prepare for a substantive hearing.
So far, the prosecution has shown beyond reasonable doubt that Kabuga was more than a genocide financier. Records show Kabuga purchased tonnes of machetes and distributed them to Interahamwe militias to ease and expedite the genocide.
Kabuga was also among the architects of the genocide. He founded the notorious anti-Tutsi Radio Station- RTLM which was instrumental in disseminating the genocidal message to exterminate Tutsi.
Kabuga defensive lawyers peddling “dementia”, while we have reached the peak of Kabuga trial, it is another tactic to evade justice. A thing that should be avoided.
Justice should prevail and Kabuga must pay for the crimes against humanity he committed. Otherwise, acquitting him would rub salt into the wound for the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.