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A 65-year-old doctor has appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on charges linked to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, becoming the first person in the United Kingdom to face prosecution over the killings, according to the BBC.
Dr Vincent Brown, formerly Dr Vincent Bajinya, confirmed his name and address from the dock. He remains in custody after a seven-year British investigation into the alleged crimes.
He faces one charge of conduct ancillary to genocide and six charges of conduct ancillary to murder as crimes against humanity. The case was sent to the Old Bailey for a hearing on 9 October, while a bail application was due to be considered later on Tuesday.
Allegations linked to killings in Kigali
The charges relate to an alleged slaughter in Kigali’s Rugenge district between 6 and 13 April 1994, during the 100-day genocide in which Hutu extremists killed Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Prosecutors allege that Brown killed, directed or encouraged the deaths of members of the Tutsi ethnic group, with the intention of destroying the group in whole or in part.
They said the case was brought under the 2001 International Criminal Court Act and that the alleged killings formed part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.
Three members of one household were allegedly killed, along with a taxi driver, a mother and her young son. The alleged victims were Dominique Mukurarinda, Immaculee Mukankusi, Gerasi Rurangirwa, Leandre Mbogoye, Charlotte Kamaguja and Olivier Tuyishime.
Defendant denies allegations
Brown qualified as a medical doctor in Rwanda in the 1980s and later headed the country’s Department of Family Health in Kigali. He lived in a suburb of the capital with his wife and young son.
In 2006, he worked for Praxis, a London-based charity supporting refugees, including people from Rwanda. He also served on the Refugee Nurses Task Force, established in 2003 to advise the UK government.
His barrister, Sam Blom-Cooper, told the court that Brown denied the allegations and wanted to face a jury to clear what he called the “stains of these appalling allegations”.
“These are appalling crimes, terrible murders committed in 1994, but this is the beginning of the end for Dr Brown,” he said.
Investigations into other alleged genocide offences in Rwanda are continuing.
