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Advocates Philippines
Kabuga Dies In The Hague Custody; UN Court Orders Probe
Photo credit: Human Rights
Félicien Kabuga, the Rwandan businessman accused of financing the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, has died while in custody at a hospital in The Hague, according to the United Nations court handling his case.
The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) confirmed that Kabuga died while hospitalized, triggering an immediate notification to the Medical Officer of the United Nations Detention Unit and the start of standard procedures under Dutch law.
“The Medical Officer of the United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU) was immediately notified, and the Dutch authorities have commenced the standard procedures and investigations required under Dutch national law,” the court said in its official statement.
IRMCT President Judge Graciela Gatti Santana has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances of his death and assigned Judge Alphons Orie to oversee the investigation.
Kabuga, believed to be around 91 to 93 years old based on court and media reports, was one of the last major fugitives linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed over 100 days.
He was accused of financing extremist Hutu militias and supporting the propaganda efforts of Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), which prosecutors said helped incite the mass killings.
Kabuga was arrested in France in 2020 after more than two decades on the run and was transferred to The Hague later that year. His trial began in 2022, but proceedings were suspended in 2023 after judges ruled he was unfit to stand trial due to advanced dementia.
Since then, he remained in UN custody in a hospital facility, as no country agreed to accept him for release or transfer.
The IRMCT said Dutch authorities and UN officials will continue investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) confirmed that Kabuga died while hospitalized, triggering an immediate notification to the Medical Officer of the United Nations Detention Unit and the start of standard procedures under Dutch law.
“The Medical Officer of the United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU) was immediately notified, and the Dutch authorities have commenced the standard procedures and investigations required under Dutch national law,” the court said in its official statement.
IRMCT President Judge Graciela Gatti Santana has ordered an inquiry into the circumstances of his death and assigned Judge Alphons Orie to oversee the investigation.
Kabuga, believed to be around 91 to 93 years old based on court and media reports, was one of the last major fugitives linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed over 100 days.
He was accused of financing extremist Hutu militias and supporting the propaganda efforts of Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), which prosecutors said helped incite the mass killings.
Kabuga was arrested in France in 2020 after more than two decades on the run and was transferred to The Hague later that year. His trial began in 2022, but proceedings were suspended in 2023 after judges ruled he was unfit to stand trial due to advanced dementia.
Since then, he remained in UN custody in a hospital facility, as no country agreed to accept him for release or transfer.
The IRMCT said Dutch authorities and UN officials will continue investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
May 17, 2026
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