A Rwandan man is facing trial in a French court for charges of genocide, a landmark case which sees France for the first time take a suspect to trial over the Rwandan genocide.
54-year-old former intelligence chief Pascal Simbikangwa faces charges of complicity in both genocide and war crimes, in a trial expected to last somewhere between 6 to 8 weeks and with all the proceedings filmed.
The case was praised by Rwandan Justice Minister Johnston Busingye who called it a "good sign", with Rwanda previously criticising France for not having done enough to prosecute genocide suspects.
Leslie Haskell, the international justice counsel for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement,
54-year-old former intelligence chief Pascal Simbikangwa faces charges of complicity in both genocide and war crimes, in a trial expected to last somewhere between 6 to 8 weeks and with all the proceedings filmed.
The case was praised by Rwandan Justice Minister Johnston Busingye who called it a "good sign", with Rwanda previously criticising France for not having done enough to prosecute genocide suspects.
Leslie Haskell, the international justice counsel for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement,
"Today's trial in Paris … will be an important moment in the global fight against impunity."
"France now has the tools it needs to ensure [that] perpetrators of the world's most serious crimes don't escape justice or find a safe haven in the country," Haskell said.