Trial of deported Rwandan genocide suspect adjourns
Xinhua, January 7, 2017 Adjust font size:
The trial of Jean Claude Seyoboka, a Rwandan genocide suspect deported from Canada, adjourned on Friday until Jan. 27 after requests made by the defendant.
The trail of Seyoboka began on December 1 in the military tribunal in Nyamirambo, Kigali, where he faces charges of complicity to genocide, genocide preparation, rape and sexual assaults committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide that claimed close to 1 million lives.
A former officer in genocidal army, Seyoboka was deported from Canada in November last year after losing deportation case in a Canadian Federal Court.
On Friday, Seyoboka asked for more time so he could sort issues of his lawyer and prepare key defense documents.
The documents he cited include copies of his transfer which he said would determine his status as deportee suspect or one extradited.
He also asked the court to maintain his initial lawyer instead of one provided by Rwanda Bar Association on pro-bono terms.
The 51 years old was previously tried and sentenced in absentia by traditional Gacaca courts in Rwanda.
The prosecution, however, argued that there could be deliberate delays of the case, and wanted the suspect to stick to the free lawyer unless he proves that the lawyer is incompetent.
"These are deliberate delays of the case since all procedures were fully observed in regard to transfer of the case from Canada to Rwanda," prosecutor Kayiranga Kayihura said. Endit