Seyoboka hearing begins

{The military tribunal based in Nyamirambo Military has started hearing of Second Lieutenant, Seyoboka Henri Jean-Claude alleged case of involvement in the 1994 genocide against Tutsi. }

On 28th November 2016 the hearing was adjourned over the absence of his defense lawyer Albert Ngirabatware.

As the hearing started, the prosecution appealed for his remand over the gravity of alleged crimes he committed during the genocide.

Seyoboka is alleged to have committed genocide crimes of extermination, murder and conspiracy to commit genocide in 1994 in Kiyovu by organizing meetings that prepared and mobilized people to commit genocide especially the meeting of 21st April 1994 that organized a raid in which many Tutsi that had fled to Centre d’Etudes des Langues Africaines (CELA) were killed.

Seyoboka denied the accusations saying at that time he was studying at the former National University of Rwanda and was in Butare on dates on which he is alleged to have committed the atrocities in Kigali.

He applied for bail assuring he won’t escape justice but the presiding judge Maj. Gerard Muhigirwa said the decision will be taken on Monday 5th December 2016.

The prosecutor Kayiranga Kayihura requested to remand Seyoboka for 30 days as investigations on alleged crimes continue.

Kayiranga read crimes Seyoboka is alleged to have committed in the preparation of genocide in Nyarugenge district.

The prosecution alleged that Seyoboka collaborated with two women including Angelique Mukandutiye and Odette Nyirabagenzi along with Interahamwe to kill Tutsi that had fled at African Languages School in Kigali (CELA), at Saint Paul and Sainte Famille in 1994.

Prosecutor Kayihura said that witnesses allege Seyoboka to have trained Interahamwe and supervised them while killing Tutsi.

Seyoboka said he could not find time for involvement in such crimes since he was in Butare at the university.

Seyoboka was deported from Canada on 17th November 2016 to face trial in Rwanda where he is accused of having committed heinous crimes during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, when he was a second lieutenant in the genocidal army (Ex-FAR) and lived in Kiyovu area in Nyarugenge District.