UK Charges Rwandan Doctor in First Genocide Case

The Crown Prosecution Service authorized seven charges against Dr Vincent Brown, formerly Dr Vincent Bajinya, 65, of Islington, north London, marking the first UK charges related to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. He faces one count of conduct ancillary to genocide and six counts of conduct ancillary to murder as a crime against humanity, and is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Frank Ferguson of the CPS said: "The charges relate to allegations that Dr Brown took part in the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994." The allegations involve directing or inciting killings in Rugenge district, Kigali, in April 1994. The Metropolitan Police War Crimes Team investigation began in September 2019 after a Rwandan government request, with detectives traveling to Rwanda multiple times before submitting the file. Commander Helen Flanagan said: "To secure the first-ever UK charges related to a genocide has involved a huge amount of work and determination from officers in the War Crimes Team." She added: "This case demonstrates the UK is not a safe haven for individuals suspected of committing international crimes." The genocide killed an estimated 800,000 people over about 100 days. Other suspects remain under investigation. Brown is entitled to a fair trial.