Eric Emeraux, head of the Gendarmerie's Central Office for Combating Crimes Against Humanity, Genocides and War Crimes, displays documents with a wanted poster depicting the arrest of Rwandan genocide fugitive suspect Felicien Kabuga, in Paris, France on May 19, 2020. BENOIT TESSIER REUTERS THE HAGUE A UN tribunal in The Hague opened the trial of a Rwandan businessman captured two years ago after decades on the run, with judges saying that the hearing must go on despite the suspect's decision to boycott it from his jail cell.
Felicien Kabuga, a former businessman and radio station owner, is one of the last suspects sought by a UN tribunal for crimes committed in the 1994 genocide, when ruling Hutu majority extremists killed more than 800,000 minority Tutsis and Hutu moderates in 100 days.
Judge Iain Bonomy said that Mr Kabuga is well this morning but has decided not to attend the hearing this morning in person or via a video link.
The trial must proceed with the opening statement of the prosecutor, judges decided.
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Kabuga is in his mid-to- late 80s, though his precise date of birth is disputed. He was arrested in Paris in May 2020 between the COVID 19 lockdowns and extradited to The Hague where he entered a not-guilty plea.
The former coffee and tea tycoon was charged with three counts of genocide and two counts of crimes against humanity, primarily for promoting hate speech through his broadcaster, Radio Television Libre des Milles Collines.
He is accused of arming ethnic Hutu militias.
Kabuga did not need to wield a rifle or a machete at a road block in support of the genocide. In his opening statement, Rashid Rashid Rashid said he provided weapons in bulk and facilitated the training that prepared the Interahamwe Hutu militias to use them.
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Rashid said that Kabuga had founded a radio station that broadcast genocidal propaganda across Rwanda. Prosecutors said the genocide charges covered rapes and sexual assaults as well as killings. They said that Hutus were encouraged in RTLM broadcasts to taste Tutsi women.
After Thursday's hearing, UN prosecutor Serge Brammertz told reporters that Kabuga's no-show was a strategic decision from his side, but he said it would not affect the proceedings.
Because of Kabuga's advanced age and fragile health, the court will only sit for six hours a week, divided over two days. Brammertz said the prosecution case will take several months.
Brammertz said that time is important, so we hope that this trial can proceed as quickly as possible.
The defense will make its opening statement when the trial begins on Friday.