Félicien Kabuga, a suspect in the Rwandan genocide, has been ordered to be urgently assessed for release, and the war crimes trial against him has been temporarily halted by UN appeal judges.
Although Mr. Kabuga’s dementia rendered him unsuitable to stand trial in June, judges at a UN war crimes court recommended that alternate processes be used instead.
Judges in the appeals court now reject this proposition.
The judges claim that the UN war crimes tribunal committed “an error of law” in June when it decided that Mr. Kabuga should be tried using a different, more straightforward method despite his condition.
Additionally, a lower trial chamber has been instructed to begin working on his release.
The 80-year-old businessman and owner of a radio station was one of the final suspects pursued by the tribunal investigating crimes committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
He is accused of inspiring the assassins who slaughtered more than 800,000 people in just 100 days and inciting hatred through his radio programme.
After 20 years on the run, Mr. Kabuga was captured in Paris in 2020 and entered a not guilty plea.
The court acknowledged that this most recent ruling will be upsetting to the genocide victims and survivors, but added that justice could only be carried out with the utmost respect for the rights of the accused.