Rwandan genocide suspect Kabuga dies in custody in The Hague at age 91

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File representation  showing readers looking astatine  a paper  June 12, 2002 successful  Nairobi carrying the photograph   of Rwandan Felicien Kabuga wanted by the United States. The United States published a "wanted" photograph   successful  Kenyan newspapers of the businessman accused of helping concern   the 1994 killings successful  Rwanda.

File representation showing readers looking astatine a paper June 12, 2002 successful Nairobi carrying the photograph of Rwandan Felicien Kabuga wanted by the United States. The United States published a "wanted" photograph successful Kenyan newspapers of the businessman accused of helping concern the 1994 killings successful Rwanda. | Photo Credit: Reuters

A Rwandan fishy charged successful transportation with the 1994 genocide died successful a infirmary portion successful custody successful The Hague, Netherlands, a UN tribunal said connected Saturday (May 16, 2026), 3 years aft the tribunal declared him unfit to proceed lasting trial.

Felicien Kabuga (91) was accused of encouraging and bankrolling the wide sidesplitting of Rwanda's Tutsi minority. His proceedings began successful 2022, astir 3 decades aft the 100-day massacre that near 8,00,000 dead.

In 2023, the judges declared him unfit to proceed lasting proceedings due to the fact that helium had dementia and said they would found a process to proceed proceeding grounds without the anticipation of convicting him.

On Saturday (May 16, 2026), the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals said successful a connection that Kabuga died portion hospitalised successful The Hague, and the aesculapian serviceman of the UN Detention Unit was notified immediately.

An probe into his decease has been ordered to found the circumstances of however helium died, the connection said.

An apprehension warrant for Kabuga was issued successful 2013, and a $5 cardinal bounty was announced. He was arrested successful 2020 successful France, and his proceedings started successful 2022.

Kabuga was charged with genocide, incitement to perpetrate genocide, conspiracy to perpetrate genocide, arsenic good arsenic persecution, extermination and murder. He pleaded not guilty. If helium had been convicted, helium would person faced a maximum condemnation of beingness imprisonment.

After the tribunal declared him unfit to basal trial, helium remained successful detention, pending the solution of the contented of his provisional merchandise to a authorities consenting to judge him connected its territory.

His lawyer had said that helium wouldn't instrumentality to his location country, Rwanda, which had offered to instrumentality him, arsenic helium feared helium would beryllium mistreated.

The declaration that helium was unfit for proceedings angered galore genocide survivors successful Rwanda, who felt his crimes deserved the maximum sentence.

The genocide was triggered connected April 6, 1994, erstwhile a level carrying President Juvénal Habyarimana was changeable down and crashed successful the capital, Kigali, sidesplitting the person who, similar the bulk of Rwandans, was an taste Hutu. Kabuga's girl joined Habyarimana's son.

Published - May 17, 2026 10:34 p.m. IST

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