Arusha, January 31, 2005(FH) The first witness to defend the former Rwandan minister of Family and Women Affairs, Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, including rape, at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) alleged that the accused was simple and human and was close to her employees.

The witness, a Hutu woman, code-named as WFGS to protect her identity, also explained the suspect did not practice Hutu-Tutsi ethnic discrimination as alleged by the prosecutor in the indictment.

The witness was responding to Canadian Lawyer Guy Poupart, co-counsel for the accused, who requested the witness to describe how Pauline Nyiramasuhuko behaved during the time she worked under her. Nyiramasuhuko was her former boss in the Ministry.

Earlier, during her opening remarks, Nicole Bergevin, also from Canada, lead counsel for the accused, blamed the media and some expert witnesses for mudslinging her client’s character by portraying her as “minister of rape or first woman to be indicted by the tribunal for genocide.”

WFGS also said that in May 1994, she went to Nyiramasuhuko’s residence in Butare to enquire about her salary. She testified that she did not witness any road block between Nyiramasuhuko’s house and the office of the Rector of Butare University, as claimed by the prosecutor.

Others on trial with Nyiramasuhuko are her son and alleged militia leader Shalom Arsene Ntahobali , former prefects (Governors) of Butare, Sylvain Nsabimana and Alphonse Nteziryayo, and two former mayors: Joseph Kanyabashi and Elie Ndayambaje of Ngoma and Muganza communes respectively. They all pleaded not guilty. The trial commenced on June 12, 2001.

The case is before Trial Chamber Two presided over by Judge William Hussein Sekule (Tanzania). He is assisted by Judge Arlette Ramaroson (Madagascar) and Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda.

NI/GF/FH (BT’’’031e)