Chief Prosecutor Brammertz concludes mission to Rwanda

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Mr. Serge Brammertz, concluded an official visit to Kigali, Rwanda from 05 to 09 May 2025, as part of the continuing cooperation between the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) and Rwandan authorities regarding the investigation and prosecution of individuals alleged to have participated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

During his visit, Prosecutor Brammertz held high-level discussions with the Minister of Justice, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, the Prosecutor General, Angélique Habyarimana, the Inspector General of Police, Felix Namuhoranye, as well as with the Secretary-General of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Colonel Pacifique Kabanda, and the RIB Deputy Secretary-General, Consolée Kamarampaka.

In his discussions with the Rwandan authorities, Prosecutor Brammertz presented results of the support provided by the OTP to Rwanda in tracking, locating, investigating and prosecuting fugitives of the Genocide pursuant to Article 28(3) of the Mechanism Statute. Prosecutor Brammertz also presented the outcomes of the strong cooperation between the office of the Prosecutor General, the OTP, and other national partners in accounting for fugitives in jurisdictions worldwide. They also further discussed challenges in extraditing fugitives and accounting for fugitives more than 30 years after the Genocide.

The Rwandan authorities expressed their strong support to Prosecutor Brammertz for the crucial assistance provided by the OTP and examined other areas of further cooperation and collaboration with the OTP to achieve more justice for victims and survivors of the Genocide.

Prosecutor Brammertz also met with various representatives of the diplomatic community during his visit to Kigali.