Radio Netherlands
By Sophie van Leeuwen and Ruben Koops, Hilversum
13 May 2011
“On Monday we want to start the cross-examination in the Kigali High Court at eight in the morning” says Ruberwa, who is the leading prosecutor in the Ingabire case. He also confirmed that Ingabire will be transported to the court on Monday.
But there she won’t be represented by her legal team. “No, the trial won’t be proceeding on Monday and the prosecution knows this!” says Edwards. “We told the court that the defence won’t be ready to start this Monday.”
According to defence attorney Edwards there are several reasons for the delay. A very practical one is that none of Ingabire’s legal advisers are going to be able to make it to Monday’s session, he says.
“Her Rwandan lawyer Gatera Gashabana will be out of the country, and so are the international members of her team.” The court date was fixed without the consultation of the international members of the team, says Edwards.
Another problem is the translation of the case file, which counts over 2,000 pages written in Kinyarwanda, the local language. “Two out of three members of the defence are not able to read the file,” says Edwards.
“The prosecution chooses not to provide the file in English, so the responsibility of translating the file has fallen on us exclusively.”
The Dutch embassy in Kigali has confirmed that it will have a staffer present at the trial in order to monitor the proceedings.
The Rwandan opposition leader, arrested in her Kigali home on 14 October 2010, has long been awaiting trial from a prison in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. Ingabire is the chairperson of the United Democratic Forces, and is charged with collaborating with a terrorist organization, divisionism, and denying the 1994 genocide.
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