Rutunga arrived in Kigali on Monday evening.
Rwanda has welcomed the extradition to Rwanda of genocide suspect Venant Rutunga, by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Rutunga, 72, becomes the third genocide suspect to be extradited from the European country.
Rutunga was handed over to the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) upon arrival at Kigali International Airport (KIA), aboard a KLM flight from Amsterdam.
Rutunga is suspected to have committed Genocide crimes in the former Butare prefecture, currently Huye district, during the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.
Rwanda’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Olivier Nduhungirehe said the extradition of Rutanga is a welcome development.
“We commend the Dutch authorities for their continued cooperation in holding suspects of genocide to account. Venant Rutunga is accused of genocide committed at ISAR-Rubona, where he was regional director,”
“Arrested in March 2019 in the Netherlands, his extradition was confirmed by the Minister of Justice & Security in April 2020. In Dec 2020 & May 2021, Dutch courts rejected his appeals,” Nduhungirehe tweeted.
“Venant Rutunga was born in 1949 in the former Ruhengeri prefecture, currently Gakenke district in the Northern province,” the statement from the NPPA reads.
“During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Mr. Rutunga lived in what today is called Rubona village, Kiruhura cell, Ruhashya sector Huye district in the Southern province. He was the Director of the Region du Plateau Central of the Institut des Agronomiques du Rwanda(ISAR Rubona),” the statement also reads.
