Bagaragaza, Michel fr

Country of proceedings: The Netherlands
Context of crimes: Rwanda
Date: 2005 - Present
Keywords: Genocide (and complicity), war crimes, judicial cooperation (transfer)

Until July 1994, Michel Bagaragaza was the managing director of OCIR-Tea, the controlling body for the tea industry in Rwanda. Bagaragaza is accused of conspiring with his employees in order to kill Tutsis in the Gisenyi Prefecture. In addition, he was a member of the local committee of the Republican Movement for Development and Democracy (MRND) for the Gisenyi Prefecture. In the original indictment, Bagaragaza was charged with genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide and complicity in genocide for crimes committed in Rwanda in 1994. On 30 November 2006, a fourth count (war crimes) was added to the indictment, charged in alternative to the genocide count.

On 13 April 2007, Trial Chamber III of the ICTR referred the case against Michel Bagaragaza to the authorities of the Netherlands pursuant to Rule 11bis of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. A previous request from the ICTR prosecution to refer the case to Norway was denied. On 8 August 2007, the prosecutor of the ICTR requested that the decision to try Bagaragaza at the Hague District Court be annulled.

Bagaragaza has been detained in the United Nations Detention Unit in Scheveningen since 18 August 2005.

Court documents
21-03-2008 - Court of The Hague (in Dutch / in English)

Additional Documents
Bagaragaza case before the ICTR