Rwanda arrests US lawyer on genocide denial charges
The Rwandan government has arrested an American lawyer who is part of the defence team of opposition figure Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, accusing him of denying the 1994 Tutsi genocide.
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Peter Erlinder who heads an association of defence lawyers at the UN Rwanda tribunal in Arusha, arrived in Kigali last Sunday to take part in the defence of opposition Hutu politician Ingabire, who is herself accused of denying the genocide and inciting ethnic hatred.
Gershom Otachi, Vice President, Defence Lawyers Association of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
Gershom Otachi is Vice President of the Defence Lawyers Association of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and said Erlinder's arrest is political.
We seriously condemn the action by Kigali. Clearly the reason he must have been arrested was that he was trying to meet Victoire Ingabire with a view to taking instructions and probably taking up her cause or defending her in that context,” he said. “We do not expect Peter to get justice particularly because he has already been condemned as a genocidaire even long before for simply representing his client and expressing his opinions about Kigali.”
A police spokesman said Erlinder would be brought before a judge within the legal time limit of 72 hours.
"He's someone who denies the genocide in his writings and his speeches. Worse than that he has become an organiser of genocide deniers," Rwanda's Public Prosecutor Martin Ngoga told AFP.
On Tuesday US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson said he had asked Rwandan authorities to give Victoire Ingabire a speedy, fair, and transparent trial.
Carson also accused Kigali of restricting freedoms ahead of the August 9 presidential poll.
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