International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES ORIGINAL: ENGLISH TRIAL CHAMBER III Before: Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa, Presiding Judge Bakhtiyar Tuzmukhamedov Judge Mparany Rajohnson Registrar: Adama Dieng Date: 31 May 2012 THE PROSECUTOR v. Callixte NZABONIMANA Case No. ICTR-98-44D-T JUDGEMENT AND SENTENCE Office of the Prosecutor Defence Counsel Hassan Bubacar Jallow Vincent Courcelle-Labrousse Paul Ng’arua Philippe Larochelle Memory Maposa Simba Mawere Mary Diana Karanja Alison McFarlane Prosecutor v. Nzabonimana, Case No. ICTR-98-44D-T Table of Contents CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview of the Case .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Accused ................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Summary of the Procedural History ............................................................................................................. 2 CHAPTER II: PRELIMINARY ISSUES .................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Indictment ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1.1 Defence Submission of Inflated Indictment ......................................................................................... 4 2.1.2 General and Overlapping Allegations in the Indictment ...................................................................... 5 2.1.3 Notice ................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Notice of Alibi .............................................................................................................................................. 8 2.3 Disclosure Violations .................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3.1 Rule 66 and 67 Disclosure Violations .................................................................................................. 9 2.3.1.1 Applicable Law ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.3.1.2 Disclosure of Gacaca Records: Witnesses CNAA and CNAC ................................................. 10 2.3.1.3 Disclosure of Witness Statements: Witness CNR1 .................................................................... 10 2.3.1.4 Notice of the Testimony of Witnesses CNAA, CNAC, CNAL, CNAE and CNAJ ................... 11 2.3.1.5 Conclusion Regarding Rule 66 and 67 Disclosure Violations ................................................... 12 2.3.2 Admission of Transcripts as Remedy for Rule 68 Disclosure Violations .......................................... 12 2.4 Conduct of the Prosecutor........................................................................................................................... 14 2.5 Burden of Proof .......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.6 Witness Protection ...................................................................................................................................... 15 2.7 Assessment of Evidence ............................................................................................................................. 15 2.7.1 Witness Credibility ............................................................................................................................. 15 2.7.2 Hearsay Evidence ............................................................................................................................... 16 2.7.3 Identification of the Accused ............................................................................................................. 16 2.7.4 Corroboration ..................................................................................................................................... 17 2.7.5 Circumstantial Evidence..................................................................................................................... 17 2.7.6 Prior Statements ................................................................................................................................. 17 2.7.7 Detained and Accomplice Witness Testimony ................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER III: FACTUAL FINDINGS .................................................................................................................. 20 3.1 Nzabonimana’s Influence in Gitarama Préfecture ...................................................................................... 20 3.1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 20 3.1.2 Evidence ............................................................................................................................................. 21 3.1.3 Deliberations ...................................................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Fabrication of Evidence .............................................................................................................................. 23 3.2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 23 3.2.2 Recruitment of Prosecution Witnesses by Rwandan Authorities and Witness CNAI ........................ 24 3.2.2.1 Evidence .................................................................................................................................... 25 Judgement and Sentence ii 31 May 2012 Prosecutor v. Nzabonimana, Case No. ICTR-98-44D-T 3.2.2.2 Deliberations .............................................................................................................................. 32 3.2.2.2.1 Recruitment of Prosecution Witnesses by Rwandan Authorities ...................................... 32 3.2.2.2.2 Recruitment of Prosecution Witnesses by Witness CNAI ................................................. 35 3.2.3 The Prison System .............................................................................................................................. 37 3.2.3.1 Evidence .................................................................................................................................... 37 3.2.3.2 Deliberations .............................................................................................................................. 49 3.2.3.2.1 Prosecution Witnesses CNAA and CNAC ........................................................................ 49 3.2.3.2.2 Pressure in Prisons to Testify ............................................................................................ 51 3.2.4 “Activism Against Nzabonimana” ..................................................................................................... 53 3.2.4.1 Evidence .................................................................................................................................... 53 3.2.4.2 Deliberations .............................................................................................................................. 55 3.2.5 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................... 55 3.3 Pre-April 1994 Events ................................................................................................................................ 56 3.3.1 Training of Interahamwe .................................................................................................................... 56 3.3.1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 56 3.3.1.2 Notice ......................................................................................................................................... 56 3.3.2 Meeting at Nzabonimana’s House ...................................................................................................... 58 3.3.2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 58 3.3.2.2 Evidence .................................................................................................................................... 58 3.3.2.3 Deliberations .............................................................................................................................. 61 3.4 Events from 6 to 11 April 1994 .................................................................................................................. 63 3.4.1 Alibi ................................................................................................................................................... 63 3.4.1.1 Introduction