Rwanda's Justice Minister Asks the Security Council for Custody of Acquitted Persons and Judicial Archives — Families Say the Transfer Would Put Lives at Risk

BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 17, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- On June 12, 2026, Rwanda's Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, told the United Nations Security Council that Rwanda is ready to receive the ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) judicial archives and take custody of all persons convicted, acquitted, or released by the tribunal — including those who have been cleared of all charges.

Minister Ugirashebuja's statement is recorded in the UN's official meeting coverage (SC/16384, June, 12, 2026) and in the webcast of the 10170th meeting.

Apart from the representative of the United States, no other Security Council member commented on Rwanda’s application. The Council's resolution is expected to be adopted next week, on June 25.

Stand For Our Parents (SFOP) — the association representing the families of persons acquitted, released, or detained by the ICTR/IRMCT (International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals) — urges every Security Council member to reject Rwanda’s application in its entirety.

Acquitted by the UN's Own Court — Yet Claimed by a Party to the Conflict

Rwanda’s application concerns acquitted persons who were found not guilty by the UN ad hoc tribunal, as well as released persons currently housed in a UN safe house in Niger without legal status since December 2021. Three of them have died while waiting for a durable solution. Rwanda also requests the transfer of UN detainees serving their sentences in Senegal and Benin. In addition, the UN has informed those residing in the safe house in Niger that financial support will end on December 31, 2026.

Rwanda’s request appears to seek a de facto extension of judicial control over acquitted and released persons. SFOP rejects this unlawful claim. These individuals owe no further obligation to any court, and transferring them to the very state that prosecuted them would violate the principle of ne bis in idem (double jeopardy) — a principle that several Security Council members reaffirmed during the June 12 debate.

It is well known that Rwanda applies the "genocide ideology" law, which was not part of the ICTR Statute. SFOP fears that Rwanda’s strategy is to prosecute these individuals under new charges related to it once they are transferred to Rwanda.

These concerns are not theoretical. In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court found that Rwanda was not a safe country for the transfer of asylum seekers, citing a real risk of refoulement. The removal scheme was subsequently abandoned. A legal memorandum prepared by the families, an open letter signed by international defense lawyers, and reports from several human rights organizations are on record with the UN Secretary-General and explain why diplomatic assurances do not eliminate that risk.

"We are not asking the Council to revisit any verdict," said Jean De Dieu Nsanzabandi, spokesperson for SFOP. "We are asking one question: will our parents be safe in Rwanda? Rwanda’s own request — to take custody of people it accused and who were subsequently acquitted — answers that question."

Archives That Could Endanger the Witnesses Who Helped Build Them

Regarding the ICTR archives, SFOP strongly rejects Minister Ugirashebuja’s request to transfer them to Rwanda. SFOP fully supports Tanzania’s position, which offers a cost-free solution since the necessary infrastructure already exists in Arusha, where the ICTR was established.

Records of international justice should not be placed in the custody of a party to the conflict, in order to preserve the independence and impartiality of the institution. Furthermore, these archives contain records relating to thousands of defense witnesses who continue to reside in Rwanda. Transferring such records to Rwanda would undermine the protective measures ordered by the Tribunal and could place those witnesses at risk.

SFOP Calls on the Security Council to:

Refuse the transfer of the ICTR archives to Rwanda and preserve them in neutral custody
Refuse the transfer of any acquitted, released, or detained person to Rwanda
Resolve without delay the situation of those stranded in Niger by securing a durable solution
Ensure a durable solution consistent with international law and hear the concerns of the families

Spokespersons and family members are available for interviews. The press release, legal memorandum, and supporting documents, including the thirteen Defence Counsel of Record's open letter (May 26, 2026) and the families' 35-page legal memorandum (May 27, 2026), are available at are available at standforourparents.org/press.

About Stand For Our Parents

Stand For Our Parents (SFOP) is an association in formation under Belgian law which gather families, relatives and friends of ICTR / IRMCT acquitted, released and detainees persons. SFOP urges people, organisations, countries, and every Security Council member to oppose Rwanda’s application in its entirety. For more information, visit www.standforourparents.org.

Media Contact

Jean De Dieu Nsanzabandi
Spokesperson, Stand For Our Parents (SFOP)
jean.nsanzabandi@standforourparents.org
+32 471 90 44 88

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SOURCE: Stand For Our Parents

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