Brussels, August 3 , 2021
Félicien Kabuga is currently in front of “The Mechanism” (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) in The Hague. His family and himself are waiting impatiently for a transparent justice.
Since Félicien Kabuga has been detained over a year ago now, his health condition has been deteriorating. At almost 90 years old, he is completely dazed, confused and extremely sick. He does not know where he is or what is going on around him. He has been denied his basics human rights, including the right to a fair lawyer. His lawyer has failed to establish a relationship or communication with M. Kabuga and his family, instead he is working on his own, for interests that we ignore. The family has been kept in the dark and are desperately worried for their father.
The family is also worried that the trial won’t be fair due to his unstable health and inability to mentally be present in his own trial. There is also the serious threat of a decision to deport Felicien Kabuga to Arusha in Tanzania. Very recently, the prosecutor stated that Félicien Kabuga was fit to be in front of the court which might enforce his deportation to the court of Arusha in Tanzania. The decision was made with reference to medical reports unknown by the family. Furthermore, a few days later he was hospitalised twice.
He is our father and grandfather, we demand justice and that his very basic human rights and needs are respected and met.
Félicien Kabuga’s family is seriously worried about a lack of transparency in trial and justice.
In addition to this, the family’s financial assets have been seized illegaly since 1999. This desired impoverishment specific to the Kabuga family violates human rights and we call on human rights defenders to condemn such acts.
Donatien Kabuga
On behalf of Félicien Kabuga and Family
