THE FIRST two Rwandans to appear before the UN tribunal trying suspects alleged to have carried out the 1994 ethnic genocide in Rwanda pleaded not guilty to a total of 20 charges yesterday.
Former militia leader, Mr Georges Rutaganda (37), and former municipal leader, Mr JeanPaul Akayesu (43), appeared before the court in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha. Their trials were adjourned until autumn.
During yesterday's hearings, eight charges were read out against Mr Rutaganda and I against Mr Akayesu. The charges included genocide, crimes against humanity and murder.
Mr Rutaganda arrived amid tight security and escorted by two police officers at the preliminary court set up in a room in the international conference centre in Arusha.
Mr Rutaganda showed little emotion as the charges were read to him. He shook his head as he was accused of ordering Hutu militia to "throw the Tutsis in the river".
A former businessman, Mr Rutaganda was second vice president of the national committee of the Interahamwe "youth section" which later became the feared Hutu militia. He is accused of distributing arms to Hutu militiamen who allegedly used them to massacre men, women and children sheltered in a school near the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
Mr Rutaganda is further accused of ordering them to kill Tutsis and of taking part himself in the killings in various places.
The Interahamwe are accused of the worst atrocities during the 1994 genocide which left at least 500,000 dead among the Tutsis and moderate Hutus.