Key facts
- A German-Rwandan national was arrested in Germany on suspicion of genocide and murder.
- The suspect is accused of ordering the deaths of 25 Tutsis during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
- He allegedly served as an assistant to the mayor of Kayove and compiled death lists.
- Prosecutors state he also personally participated in a killing by stabbing a victim.
German prosecutors have arrested a German-Rwandan national, identified only as Innocent S, on suspicion of involvement in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda. The suspect is accused of ordering the deaths of 25 Tutsis on five separate occasions while serving as an assistant to the mayor of Kayove in northwestern Rwanda.
According to a statement from prosecutors, the suspect allegedly used his position to incite the extermination of Tutsis and had death lists drawn up. In one instance, he is accused of personally participating in a killing by stabbing a victim. Germany has a history of prosecuting individuals accused of grave international crimes under the principle of universal jurisdiction, regardless of where the crimes were committed.
The 1994 genocide in Rwanda saw Hutu extremists systematically massacre over 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus over approximately 100 days.