Doctor appears in court over charges linked to Rwandan genocide

Britain's first suspect accused in connection with the horrific 1994 genocide in Rwanda — a 65-year-old doctor, Vincent Brown, formerly known as Vincent Bajinya — has appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court. Brought to justice following a seven-year British investigation into the roughly 100-day massacre in which Hutu extremists killed members of the Tutsi ethnic group en masse, the former doctor's case has been referred to the Old Bailey for a hearing scheduled for October 9.

"Postxronika.az" reports, citing the BBC, that prosecutors, acting under the International Criminal Court Act 2001, formally charge the London resident Brown with directing, inciting and directly aiding genocide during systematic attacks against civilians in Kigali's Rugenge district, including the killing of a mother and her young child. It has emerged that the doctor, who headed Rwanda's Family Health Department in the 1980s, later fled to London and went on to work in charities and official refugee working groups.

While the alleged crimes are said to have been carried out with intent to destroy the Tutsi community in whole or in part, British police have stressed the country is not a safe haven for war criminals. With the defendant's request for release on bail currently under consideration by the court, this historic case is being regarded as an important step toward establishing international justice.

Rəşad Hüseynov