U.N. Tries Rwanda Genocide Suspect
A former Hutu mayor used the respect his position commanded to order the killing of 2,000 Tutsis, prosecutors argued in opening a U.N. tribunal’s first case against a suspect in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide. Jean-Paul Akayesu has pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of torture, murder and genocide. Akayesu’s lawyers said they intend to challenge the credibility of the 31 prosecution witnesses. The trial adjourned after the opening statements because passport problems delayed the arrival of three prosecution witnesses from Rwanda. Akayesu is one of 21 people indicted by the tribunal.
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