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Rwanda genocide survivors protest French court decision over accused priest

Xinhua, October 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

The survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide have protested the decision by a French court to drop the case against a Rwandan priest accused of genocide.

The French court on Tuesday dismissed the case against Father Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, who was previously convicted of genocide in absentia by a Rwandan court.

Munyeshyaka's case was referred to the French court by Tanzania-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

French prosecutors in August called for the case to be thrown out for "lack of evidence".

Munyeshyaka, the former vicar at the Sainte Famille parish in Rwanda's capital Kigali during the 1994 genocide, is accused of involvement in the killings and handing over minority Tutsi women who had sought refuge at his church to militias to be raped.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Dr. Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, president of IBUKA, an association representing the genocide survivors, said the court decision was not a surprise to survivors because the French court was "used to denying justice".

"We denounce the court decision in strongest terms because Munyeshyaka is a genocide criminal and many survivors can testify to this. This is mockery to survivors and victims and we call upon the French government to extradite Munyeshyaka to Rwanda to face justice," said Dusingizemungu.

Dr Jean Damascene Bizimana, executive secretary of Rwanda's National Commission for the Fight Against the Genocide, said the court decision was yet another demonstration of France's continued reluctance to bring to book those responsible for mass murders during the 1994 genocide.

The French court last month ruled Joseph Habyarimana, a suspect wanted in Rwanda for genocide charges would not be extradited to the central African nation on the grounds the crimes were not offences at the time and that laws cannot be applied retroactively.

In May, the French appeals court released Dr. Charles Twagira who was suspected of involvement in the genocide.

The Rwandan government has been chasing those accused of taking part in the genocide. So far, seven such people have been extradited from Uganda, Canada, the U.S. and Tanzania to stand trial in Rwanda.

More fugitives are still being tracked, including businessman Felicien Kabuga, accused of bankrolling the genocide. Endit