A doctor has become the first person in the United Kingdom to be formally charged in connection with the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Dr. Vincent Brown, 65, previously known as Dr. Vincent Bajinya, appeared in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where he confirmed his name and address before the judge.
The charges follow a seven-year investigation by British authorities. Brown faces one count of conduct ancillary to genocide and six counts of conduct ancillary to murder as a crime against humanity. His case has been referred to the Old Bailey, London’s central criminal court, for a hearing on October 9, and a bail request will be reviewed separately.
The Rwandan genocide lasted about 100 days in 1994, when Hutu extremists killed an estimated 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis. Prosecutors allege Brown took part in killings in Kigali’s Rugenge district between April 6 and 13, 1994, accusing him of encouraging or directing the deaths of six named victims, including a mother and her young son.
Brown, who trained as a doctor in Rwanda in the 1980s and later worked for the country’s health ministry, has lived in the UK for years, including work with a London charity assisting refugees. His lawyer said Brown denies the allegations and welcomes the chance to clear his name before a jury after two decades of uncertainty.
You can read the full BBC report for more details on the case.
Source: Doctor in court to face Rwanda genocide charges in UK (feeds.bbci.co.uk).
Image: Patrick Feller, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).