{{On Monday, Bernard Munyagishari 53, a Genocide suspect appeared before the Nyarugunga Primary Court where he rejected a defence Lawyer and refused to speak in Kinyarwanda.}}
Prosecution Informed Munyagishari of the multiple charges he faces including; planning and organising the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the crime of genocide, conspiracy in the crime of Genocide, rape and murder as a crime against humanity.
In efforts to prove that Munyagishari was able to communicate in Kinyarwanda, Prosecutor Ndimbwami Rugambwa told Court, “Munyagishari was born and raised in Rwanda, he studied in Rwanda and was also taught in Kinyarwanda.”
He added ,“Between 1981 and 1982 he was tried in Ruhengeri courts over allegations of having sex with an underage girl and the whole verbatim of this trial is in Kinyarwanda so he should speak in Kinyarwanda.”
The prosecutor requested court to remand the suspect for 30 days as he prepared his case.
Presiding Judge Felix Ndahigwa ordered Munyagishari to speak in Kinyarwanda but he remained adamant.
Munyagishari later told court that he was given a letter by the prosecution asking him to appear in court but never received any summons.
When his lawyer Donatien Mucyo attempted to address the court, Munyagishari interrupted him, saying he didn’t represent him.
“So I won’t say anything before this court. And, I don’t have a lawyer so no one should,” he said in French.
Munyagishari was on July 24, transfered from International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha Tanzania.
He claims that the Nyarugunga Primary Court had no jurisdiction to try him since he was never summoned by that court.
Munyagishari claimed that he was arrested because of mistaken identity and that he is a Congolese national.
He, however, did not bring up this issue in court yesterday.
Munyagishari was arrested in May 2011 in DR Congo, following an arrest warrant issued by the ICTR.
He is a former general secretary of the then ruling party, the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND), in Gisenyi prefecture and president of the Interahamwe militia.
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