Pan African Visions

Sweden extradites Rwandan genocide suspect

April 28, 2022

By Jean d’Amour Mbonyinshuti

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Jean Paul Micomyiza was extradited by Sweden on Wednesday. Courtesy[/caption]

A Rwandan who is suspected to have played a role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi was on Wednesday extradited by the Swedish government to face justice in Rwanda.

Jean Paul Micomyiza, 49, has been living in Sweden for years and was indicted by the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) in 2020.

“Micomyiza was indicted for his role in crimes of genocide, complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity,” said Faustin Nkusi, the Spokesperson.

He was born in the former Butare Prefecture, current Huye district, South province.

During the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, prosecution said Micomyiza lived in the in Southern Province , Huye district in Tumba sector.

He was a student at National University of Rwanda in the faculty of applied sciences.

“While at the University, he was a member of a Comité de Crise (crisis committee) that was instrumental in committing the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi,” said Nkusi.

One of the missions for Comité de Crise was to search and identify Tutsi civilians to be killed and thus played a big role in the genocide against the Tutsi,” he added.

The government of Sweden had given the green light to the extradition of Micomyiza, to Rwanda to be brought to book and answer his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Micomyiza is accused of leading a militia and mutilating, murdering and raping during the genocide in 1994. His Swedish lawyers, it is reported, will now turn to the European Court of Justice.

He was detained on November 17, 2020.

In December 2021, reports from Sweden indicated that the Supreme Court there saw no legal obstacle to extradite Micomyiza to Rwanda.

Micomyiza lived in Gothenburg, a major city in Sweden for the last 15 years. He was denied citizenship by Sweden because

Micomyiza applied but was denied citizenship in Sweden because he is politically active.

Rwanda faced the tragic history in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi where over one million of innocent lives were lost.