The location of the event is Cape Town, as reported by Reuters. On Friday, South African prosecutors augmented the count of charges they are pressing against Fulgence Kayishema, a former police officer from Rwanda. Kayishema is being sought globally for his alleged involvement in Rwanda’s genocide of 1994.
Kayishema, who had been evading authorities for twenty years, was apprehended on May 24 while using a false identity on a grape farm in South Africa. The prosecutor stated that refugees employed at the farm were responsible for revealing his whereabouts.
According to Eric Ntabazalila, a spokesperson for the prosecutors, the accused is now confronted with 54 separate charges in South Africa that pertain to fraud and immigration violations. This is a significant increase from the previous count of five charges. The statement was made outside a court in Cape Town.
Since 2001, Kayishema has avoided law enforcement after being indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for genocide. He stands accused of purportedly issuing orders for the slaughter of 2,000 individuals who were taking refuge in the Nyange Catholic Church.
During a court hearing on May 26, the individual in question refuted any involvement in the 1994 killings. However, the individual expressed regret for the killings above.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of South Africa, Kayishema is accused of utilizing a fraudulent identity to request asylum and refugee status within the country. Kayishema has failed to respond in court regarding the charges brought against them in South Africa.
The proceedings were postponed until June 20 to provide ample time for Kayishema’s legal representatives to confer. During this juncture, he may submit a request for release on bail.
According to Ntabazalila, Kayishema may face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years for certain charges at the local level.
According to Ntabazalila, there are pending proceedings for the extradition of Kayishema to Rwanda to face trial for the ICTR genocide indictment. However, these proceedings have not yet commenced.
During the Rwandan genocide, approximately 800,000 individuals of Tutsi ethnicity and Hutu moderates were killed. The genocide was planned by an extremist Hutu regime and carried out precisely by local officials and ordinary citizens in a society that adhered to a strict hierarchy.
The apprehension of Kayishema has resulted in the number of fugitives indicted by the international tribunal, whose location is still unknown, being reduced to three.