With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Four men accused of taking part in 1994 Rwandan genocide win battle against extradition

Four men accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide have won their High Court battle against extradition from Britain.

Two judges ruled that there was "a real risk they would suffer a flagrant denial of justice" if returned to Rwanda to face trial. The news came a day after the 15th anniversary of the genocide in which 800,000 people were killed.

The court's decision makes legal history. It is the first time an English court has blocked an extradition request from a foreign government on the grounds that it would violate someone's human rights.

All four are accused of killing, or conspiring with or aiding and abetting others, to kill members of the Tutsi ethnic group "with the intent to destroy in whole, or in part, that group".

The judges found there was evidence that defence witnesses were afraid to give evidence.
Read entire article at BBC