7 Victims Now Seek Compensation in Case of FLN Spokesman Sankara

Seven people including a lawyer have submitted petitions seeking compensation in government case against captured FLN rebel spokesman Nsabimana Callixte alias Maj Sankara.

The petitions are part of the prosecution’s case in which Sankara is charged with 17 counts including terrorism and kidnapping. The substantive hearing of the case at the High Court International Crimes Chamber opened on January 17.

ALSO READ: Government Official Injured from FLN Rebel Attack Wants Compensation

In the hearing today, lawyer Yusuf Ndutiye, according to prosecution, was on December 15, 2018 travelling in his Volkswagen Golf car from Nyamagabe district headed to Rusizi via Nyungwe forest national park when he was stopped by heavily armed people.

The armed men identified themselves as forces for the liberation of Rwanda or FLN rebels. They set Ndutiye’s car and other vehicles on fire, killed many people gathered at same spot and kidnapped many others before the government army arrived. Lawyer Ndutiye was among those saved by RDF.

Prosecution now says it has petitions of a total of seven people seeking compensation from various attacks by the FLN rebels whose self-proclaimed spokesman was Nsabimana Callixte alias Maj Sankara.

In the appearance today, all those demanding compensation were in court, as prosecution continued to detail its lengthy case against Sankara.

By press time, the hearing was still ongoing. It will take days or even weeks for prosecution to complete its case, which will be followed by defense. Then both sides will make final submissions, and the court will take more weeks before a verdict is rendered.

Sankara, as with previous sessions, sat passively, with Bible on table.

No cameras were allowed in court.