British prosecutors have charged a Rwandan national living in north London over alleged offences connected to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Dr Vincent Brown, formerly known as Dr Vincent Bajinya, 65, faces one charge relating to conduct ancillary to genocide and six counts of conduct ancillary to murder as a crime against humanity. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Brown is accused of directing and encouraging other people to carry out acts of murder and genocide. He is expected to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Frank Ferguson, who heads the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said prosecutors decided to charge Brown after examining evidence compiled by the Metropolitan Police War Crimes Team. Ferguson said the CPS determined that the evidence met the required legal threshold for criminal proceedings.
The investigation began in September 2019 after the Rwandan government formally asked British authorities to investigate individuals suspected of involvement in killings in Kigali’s Rugenge district during April 1994.
According to historical estimates, about 800,000 people were killed during the genocide, which lasted approximately 100 days. The victims were predominantly members of Rwanda’s Tutsi minority, alongside politically moderate Hutus, who were targeted by Hutu extremists.
The genocide ended after predominantly Tutsi forces seized control of the country. Thousands of Hutu people were subsequently reported to have been killed in retaliatory violence. The Metropolitan Police described the investigation leading to Brown’s charges as complex and extensive, spanning seven years.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the case demonstrated that Britain would not provide refuge to people suspected of involvement in international crimes. She said the War Crimes Team would continue pursuing allegations of genocide and other atrocity crimes while ensuring suspects were dealt with through the legal process.
Police said investigations into other people in the UK suspected of offences linked to the Rwandan genocide are still underway.
