– It is indescribable, a great relief. I have lost 15 years, says 49-year-old Eugene Nkuranyabahizi. On Monday evening, he received a call from the national public prosecutor’s office that the case against him had been dropped. – Now I can start thinking and planning for the children. I have raised the Norwegian flag. For over 15 years he has been accused of having participated in the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. The genocide in Rwanda During about 100 days in 1994, it is estimated that around 800,000 people were killed in Rwanda. Before the genocide started, there were just under 8 million inhabitants in the country, around 10 percent of Rwanda’s population was thus killed during the genocide. Those killed mainly belonged to the Tutsi ethnic group, but there were also murders of opposition Hutus. It is believed that up to 200,000 perpetrators participated in the genocide. Source: Kripos. Detained for nearly four years, Nkuranyabahizi came to Norway from Rwanda as a UN refugee in 1999. Five years later, Kripos received a list of 15 people living in Norway, whom the authorities in Rwanda believed to be suspected of participating in the genocide and persecution of the Tutsi people. He was remanded in custody in 2013, and remained in custody for nearly four years. In 2017, he will be released. Rwanda wants to have him extradited in 2013. The case goes from a criminal case to an extradition case. In 2020, this decision will be reversed. Has been very marked by the accusations Defense attorney Brynjulf Risnes believes the case has been handled very poorly by the prosecution. – In my view, a legal scandal of great proportions. You have investigated with large, heavy blinders where you cannot understand what is going on in the background, says Risnes. He believes the case has been fabricated by people in Rwanda, and points out that rumors and false accusations related to the genocide abound. Defense attorney Brynjulf Risnes believes the Norwegian authorities have relied on a fabricated story. Photo: Tom Balgaard / news – The Norwegian authorities have not believed it, and doubted this accusation over time. In my view, there is no basis for that, and it is high time that the case be dropped. Risnes says Nkuranyabahizi’s life has been very marked by accusations. In addition to the psychological strain, he lost his job and the income that came with it. – Sitting in total ignorance and unpredictability and without understanding this – for me it is almost unimaginable that he and his family have come through this.
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Eugene Nkuranyabahizi was suspected of participation in the genocide in Rwanda – now the case has been dropped – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
