Cases · requested by Rwanda
Enoch Ruhigira: INTERPOL notice and outcome
Former head of presidential staff under Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana, living in New Zealand, according to OCCRP.
OutcomeNotice deleted 22 September 2015
He was released in Germany on 20 March 2017 after about eight months in custody, and JusticeInfo reported he was expected to return to New Zealand.
He was released in Germany on 20 March 2017 after about eight months in custody, and JusticeInfo reported he was expected to return to New Zealand.
What the requesting state alleged
Rwanda accused him of genocide, an accusation OCCRP says President Kagame made in 2004. Rwanda issued an arrest warrant on 25 November 2004, according to an article on JusticeInfo. JusticeInfo reported that New Zealand and Belgium deemed the accusations unfounded. He disputes the allegations.
What happened
- Rwanda issued an arrest warrant against him2Rwandan authorities
- INTERPOL told him the information he referred to was no longer registered in its files, after he presented evidence against the allegations2,1INTERPOL
- Arrested during a stopover at Frankfurt airport on the Rwandan arrest warrant2,3,1German authorities
- Released in Germany, with no reasons given according to a source close to the case3German authorities
Sources
- OCCRP, Rwanda Fed False Intelligence to U.S. and Interpol As It Pursued Political Dissidents Abroad (4 November 2022)
- JusticeInfo.net (opinion by André Guichaoua), The arrest of Enoch Ruhigira, President Juvenal Habyarimana's former Chief of Staff (17 October 2016)
- JusticeInfo.net, Former aide of ex-Rwandan President Habyarimana freed in Germany (21 March 2017)
A Red Notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. It is not an international arrest warrant and is not evidence of guilt. Read the guide.