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Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Rwandan Pastor's Extradition Case The United States Supreme Court has opened the way for the extradition of Rwandan national Elizaphan Ntakirutimana to answer charges of genocide before the United Nations war crimes tribunal for Rwanda. Ntakirutimana, 75, a retired Seventh-day Adventist pastor, was a church leader in Rwanda during the 1994 civil conflict in which an estimated 800,000 people were killed. He has been accused of collusion in the murder of a large group of Tutsis taking shelter in an Adventist complex in Mugonero, western Rwanda. "As a Church we preach a message of compassion and reconciliation and reject violence in all its forms," says Ray Dabrowski, Adventist Church spokesperson. "For this reason, we must not overlook charges of violence against humanity. The courts of justice are the appropriate forum for the resolution of these allegations." Dabrowski notes, however, that the legal presumption of innocence must not be forgotten. "We pray for a speedy process and a just outcome in this case," he says. Ntakirutimana, who had been living in retirement near Laredo, Texas since leaving Rwanda in 1994, was indicted by the United Nations tribunal in June, 1996 and arrested in September of that year. Ntakirutimana continues to maintain his innocence. On Monday, January 24, the Supreme Court refused, without comment, to hear arguments that Ntakirutimana should not be deported because of the absence of a formal extradition treaty between the United States and the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. This was the final legal step in Ntakirutimana's attempt to prevent his extradition to Arusha, Tanzania, where the tribunal is based. The State Department must now decide whether to proceed with Ntakirutimana's deportation and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has indicated that she will review the case. The Adventist Church is a prominent Christian denomination in Rwanda with more than 350,000 members and an active educational and healthcare work throughout the country.–Adventist News Network |
