Rwanda may review death penalty

Many countries refuse to extradite criminal suspects to states which use torture and execution.

Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga said he hoped the death penalty exemption would encourage the transfer of suspects to Rwanda "to face justice".

Some 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates were slaughtered during the 100-day genocide in 1994.

Meanwhile, a man accused of committing genocide during the massacres in Rwanda has been found in the UK.

But Emmanuel Nteziryayo, who has been living as an asylum seeker in Manchester under a false name, told the BBC: "I am innocent and I'm ready to prove that in court."

He however, refuses to return home to face trial "because the justice system in Rwanda is not fair".

Ringleaders

"We badly need to have those fugitives handed to Rwanda and special exemption from the death penalty is the one sure way we can have them brought to face justice for their crimes here," Mr Ngoga told the Rwandan news agency.

He said the draft law, which will be given to the minister of justice next week, would need to be passed by parliament.

The new legislation would also encourage the transfer of those suspects detained at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), based in the Tanzanian town of Arusha, the prosecutor general said.

Most of the high-profile genocide cases have been tried by the tribunal, which since 1997 has convicted 25 ringleaders of the genocide and acquitted three people.

Frustrated at its slow process, Rwanda wants suspects transferred to face trail at home.

The court is due to be disbanded in 2008.

Up to 100 people are being sought by the Rwandan authorities, who say they fled abroad to "cheat justice" after the killings.

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