Brussels is currently holding a historic trial, that of two Rwandans accused of war crimes and genocide. The trial entered a crucial phase with the interrogation of Séraphin Twahirwa, alone on the stand since his co-accused, Pierre Basabose, is currently hospitalized. The debates were intense, with contradictory statements and moving testimony.
Séraphin Twahirwa is accused of numerous murders and rapes committed between January and July 1994 in Kigali. However, he categorically denies the charges against him. Throughout his interrogation, he remained evasive, saying he did not know who was managing the militia roadblocks in his neighborhood and how the massacres took place. He even highlighted his disability, a leg amputated following a road accident, to try to convince people of his innocence.
These responses deeply shocked the civil parties, represented by Morgan Bonneure. They hoped that the accused would finally recognize his responsibility for the tragic events that took place during the genocide. For them, it is essential that the truth be revealed and that justice be done.
For his part, Séraphin Twahirwa’s lawyer, Vincent Lurquin, questioned the credibility of the witnesses questioned during the investigation. He highlighted the fact that these witnesses had been chosen by the authorities in Kigali and that the lawyers had not been able to attend their interrogations. According to him, this creates an imbalance in the procedure and does not guarantee a fair and equitable judgment.
The trial will continue in the coming weeks with nearly a hundred witnesses who will be heard before the popular jury. These testimonies, collected in Rwanda, Belgium and elsewhere, will be crucial in establishing the guilt or innocence of the accused.
This trial is of capital importance, not only for the victims and their families who have been waiting for years for justice to be done to them, but also for international justice which must demonstrate its capacity to judge genocide and war crimes. In Brussels, the truth is trying to find its way through tumultuous debates and shocking stories, in the hope of bringing some reconciliation and justice.