Versmessen Bert, the Ambassador of Belgium in Rwanda, has spoken out on the main reasons behind his country's decision to prosecute suspects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi on its territory instead of extraditing them to Rwanda.
Versmessen noted that the main reason is the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries, along with issues related to nationality, considering that some of the suspects are also Belgian nationals.
Some of the Genocide fugitives used their influential networks in the country to acquire Belgian citizenship.
"For extradition to occur there must be a legal foundation, such as an extradition treaty," Versmessen said.
He noted that, "it is impossible for Belgium to extradite one of its own citizens unless their citizenship has been revoked, a process that involves court proceedings. Judges play a crucial role in determining such matters, especially in cases where false information was provided during the citizenship acquisition process."
However, the envoy said that, despite this, both countries enjoy strong judicial ties with a view to help arrest and prosecute Genocide suspects.
Versmessen was addressing journalists in Kigali on October 6, ahead of the commencement in Brussels of the trial of two Rwandans for their suspected involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The Belgian envoy said that cooperation between prosecution authorities in Rwanda and Belgium is a cornerstone of the countries' ties.
"It is driven by the desire that there should be no impunity for serious violations of international humanitarian law. Belgium's penal code allows our judges to prosecute every person living in Belgium who committed crimes of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and torture, irrespective of whether these crimes took place on Belgian soil," he added.
"It is important that justice is not only done but also seen to be done."
He said that the trial of the two suspects that went on trial this week will be the sixth held in Belgium for people accused of involvement in the Genocide in Rwanda.
The Court of Assizes of Brussels earlier this week started proceedings in the trial of Pierre Basabose and Séraphin Twahirwa in connection with crimes of genocide and war crimes committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Hearings are set to start on October 9 and last until December.
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Born in 1947 in the then Ruhengeri prefecture, Basabose is a former soldier, a businessman, a money changer, and a family friend of former Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana, according to a statement released by the Belgian embassy in Kigali.
Twahirwa, alias "Kihebe", was born on 10 December 1958 in the former commune of Giciye in the then Gisenyi prefecture. "He was an Interahamwe leader in the Gikondo sector of Kigali and a cousin of Agathe Kanziga, the wife of former president Habyarimana," the statement noted.
"Both suspects are charged with the crime of genocide, because of their political and ideological affiliations, their participation in arming and training an Interahamwe militia, their participation in drafting lists of persons to be killed and their presence at filtering roadblocks. They are also accused of war crimes because of their role in numerous killings and, in the case of Twahirwa, also rape," it added.
Amb. Versmessen recalled that in the previous five trials, nine people were convicted and sentenced.
Genocide trials involving Rwandan suspects started in Belgium back in 2001, with the most recent one taking place in December 2019 when Fabien 'Nsabimana' Neretse was sentenced for crimes of genocide and war crimes committed in Kigali and Mataba in southern Rwanda.
