RCMP charges foreign national with war crimes

See also: Backgrounder on the RCMP’s War Crimes Section

Ottawa - October 19, 2005 — Today, the RCMP arrested a 39-year-old male from Rwanda, currently residing in Toronto, for allegedly committing crimes against humanity and war crimes in Butare, Rwanda during the events which took place in that country in 1994.

After five years of investigation, including exhaustive interviews with numerous witnesses in Rwanda, Europe and Canada, the RCMP “A” Division (National Capital Region) War Crimes Section arrested Désiré Munyaneza on seven charges under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act (CAHWC) including:

• two counts of genocide,
• two counts of crimes against humanity, and
• three counts of war crimes.

Munyaneza is the first person to be charged under the Act, which became law in October 2000. Canada was also among the first countries to conduct investigations of this nature in Rwanda after the events of 1994.

“Without the tremendous assistance and cooperation of our War Crimes Program partners in Canada and the United Nation’s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, we would never have been able to arrest this suspect today,” says Insp. Graham Burnside, officer in charge of the War Crimes Section.

International investigations, especially those dealing with war crimes and crimes against humanity, are especially complex, lengthy and often dangerous. There are legal issues surrounding cooperation between countries, linguistic and cultural barriers, the volatile situation of war-torn countries, the lack of physical evidence, and the difficulty in obtaining statements from traumatized witnesses who may still fear for their lives.

Adding to the complexity of these cases is the fact that investigators must establish not only that a suspect committed a given crime, but that the crime was committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against an identifiable group of people.

“Thanks to the dedication and perseverance of the investigators on this case, we were able to make history today,” says Insp. Burnside. “I am very proud of the work the RCMP and its partners have collectively accomplished.”

About Canada’s War Crimes Program

Canada’s War Crimes Program supports this country’s policy of denying safe haven to individuals involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The program is a joint initiative of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Canada can use a number of remedies to take action against individuals involved in war crimes or crimes against humanity, including: denial of visas abroad, exclusion from refugee protection in Canada, criminal prosecution, revocation of citizenship, removal, extradition and surrender to an international tribunal.

The RCMP, with the support of DOJ, investigates allegations of reprehensible acts that could lead to a possible criminal prosecution under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.

The CBSA pursues remedies under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

CIC refuses to issue immigrant or temporary resident visas to persons involved in war crimes or crimes against humanity. In the case of Canadian citizens, CIC can seek revocation of citizenship under the Citizenship Act, in cooperation with DOJ and the RCMP.

Additional information is available on:

Canada’s War Crimes Program official website:
http://www.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/wc/index.html

RCMP’s War Crimes website:
http://www.rcmp.ca/warcrime/index_e.htm

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Media contacts:

RCMP “A” Division
(613) 993-8820; Pager: (613) 786-8820

Department of Justice
(613) 957-4207

Canada Border Services Agency
(613) 957-6500

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
(613) 941-7028

Backgrounder on the RCMP’s War Crimes Section

“A” Division (National Capital Region) houses the RCMP’s only War Crimes Section, and is solely responsible for carrying out all Canadian investigations under the Crimes Against Humanity War Crimes Act.

The section was established in April 1987 to bring World War II criminals living in Canada to justice. In 1998, Canada’s War Crimes Program received funding to investigate modern war crimes. Today, the section’s primary focus is on modern conflicts, with the majority of investigations carried out in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Lebanon and South America.

The RCMP currently maintains an inventory of complaints involving modern war crimes and crimes against humanity which have occurred in the Middle East, South and Central America, Eastern Europe and Africa. It also maintains an inventory of World War II cases.

In the past fiscal year, the section has conducted 31 investigative trips to a variety of locations, including Europe, Africa, South America, Australia, and North America. As a result, investigators were able to gather evidence in support of 20 ongoing investigations. Several other priority investigations are at various stages of completion.

Beyond its investigations, the War Crimes Section coordinates assistance involving other Canadian police forces, foreign police forces and the International Criminal Police Organization, and provides assistance in the development of other nations’ war crimes investigations programs, including Bosnia and Rwanda.

RCMP’s War Crimes website:
http://www.rcmp.ca/warcrime/index_e.htm