FORMER Rwandan police officer Fulgence Kayishema, who is accused of participating in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, has withdrawn his application for bail and instead applied for political asylum in South Africa, confirmed prosecuting authorities and his lawyer on Tuesday.
Kayishema, who was apprehended last month under a false identity on a grape farm near Cape Town, had been a fugitive since 2001 when he was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for his alleged involvement in the genocide. He is accused of ordering the killings of approximately 2,000 people who sought refuge in a church.
While denying any participation in the violence during the genocide, Kayishema expressed remorse for the killings. Currently, he is facing 54 charges in South Africa, primarily related to violations of the Immigration Act, with several counts of fraud included. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) stated that additional charges could be brought against him.
According to the NPA, the 62-year-old accused has decided to forgo his bail application and submitted an asylum application instead. In response to inquiries, Kayishema’s lawyer, Juan Smuts, conveyed via email, ‘My client fears for his life if and when extradited, hence the very reason for his asylum application, which has been filed today.’ Smuts added that further details would be disclosed in the asylum application submitted to the Department of Home Affairs.
The NPA affirmed that they would oppose any future bail application by the accused for domestic charges. They also clarified that the asylum application would have no impact on the ongoing court proceedings. Kayishema remains in custody, and the case has been adjourned until August 18 to allow for further investigation.
