Towards the end of last year, exactly on 12 November 2016, Jean Baptiste Mugimba and Jean Claude Iyamuremye a.k.a. Nzinga were extradited from the Netherlands for the alleged role they played in the Genocide against the Tutsis and other crimes against humanity.
Jean Claude Iyamuremye, 39 years old, is one of the most notorious Interahamwe who participated in the slaughter of Tutsi who were hiding at former Ecole Technique Officielle (known as ETO-Kicukiro).
Jean Baptiste Mugimba, 56 years old, is alleged to have supervised the Genocide against the Tutsis in Nyakabanda cell where lived then. Former secretary-general of the CDR party, a notoriously extremist political party, he was responsible for the compilation of lists of Tutsis, supplying weapons to militia members, erecting roadblocks, preparation and execution of mass killings of Tutsis.
Jean Calude Iyamuremye was arrested in July 2013 in Voorburg, and Jean Baptiste Mugimba, 56 years old, was arrested in Leusden near Utrecht in January 2014. The two appealed against their extradition to Rwanda and at some extend Dutch district court in The Hague blocked their deportation in November 2015, saying the pair would not get a fair trial in the Rwandan courts. But in another ruling pf July 5th 2016 the same court ruled they would be extradited, because it was preferable to be judged in the country where they committed their crimes.
For Ibuka Netherlands it is a message that Genocide suspects can run but they can’t hide. It is also a message that justice system in Rwanda needs to be trusted by those who hesitate to extradite genocide suspects. Last but not least it is a good message the Netherlands cannot be a safe haven for genocidaires.
