Rwanda genocide trial resumes at the UN

A UN court last week resumed proceedings in the case of a former Rwandan Planning Minister convicted of involvement in his country's 1994 genocide. This follows the release in Turkey of one of the judges involved in the case. A report on the WRAL site notes that Judge Aydin Akay was detained last year in the aftermath of that country's failed coup and accused of links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The UN's Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals announced that it will review the conviction of Augustin Ngirabatware, who was sentenced on appeal to 30 years in 2014 for inciting, instigating, aiding and abetting genocide in Rwanda. Ngirabatware last year filed a request for review of his convictions, saying new evidence that came to light after his conviction could exonerate him. A spokesperson for the tribunals told the Law Gazette that 'the mechanism's understanding is that Judge Akay is confined to Turkey but… he has confirmed his ability and willingness to exercise his judicial functions in the Ngirabatware case'.