First UK charges brought over 1994 Rwanda genocide

A Rwandan man, Dr Vincent Brown, who has resided in north London for years, has become the first individual in the United Kingdom to face charges in connection with the 1994 Rwanda genocide, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The 65-year-old has been formally accused of one count of conduct ancillary to genocide and six counts of conduct ancillary to murder, classified as a crime against humanity.

Frank Ferguson, the head of the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, stated that Brown is alleged to have directed and incited acts of murder and genocide perpetrated by others. Brown is scheduled to make his initial appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. Ferguson disclosed that the decision to bring charges against Brown was made following a thorough review of the evidence compiled by the War Crimes Team at the Metropolitan Police.

The team initiated their investigation in September 2019, upon receiving a formal request from the Rwandan government to examine individuals believed to be involved in genocide within the Rugenge district of Kigali during April 1994. Throughout the course of 100 days in 1994, an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus were brutally killed by Hutu extremists.

These perpetrators targeted members of the minority Tutsi community and their political opponents, regardless of their ethnic background. The mainly Tutsi forces that seized power following the genocide were accused of retaliating by killing thousands of Hutu people in Rwanda. The Metropolitan Police emphasized that the charges against Brown stem from a seven-year, intricate investigation.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, emphasized that this case demonstrates the UK's unwavering stance against individuals suspected of committing international crimes, stating that the War Crimes Teams remain committed to holding such individuals accountable through due legal process. She further added that numerous other investigations are ongoing into other individuals in the UK for similar offenses related to the genocide in Rwanda.