[JURIST] US Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle [official profile] of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled [PDF text] Thursday that the confessions of three Rwandan rebels charged with killing two American tourists in Uganda were achieved through torture and coercion and ruled that the confessions are inadmissible in court. The rebels, who according to experts displayed scars consistent with torture, claim Rwandan officials assaulted them by binding them in difficult positions and beating them with rocks and sticks, inducing their confessions to US investigators.

Americans Rob Haubner and his wife Susan Miller were murdered in 1999 [AP report] when rebels allegedly sought out and attacked English-speaking tourists in an effort to disrupt US and British relations with Rwanda's ruling government. Six other tourists were also allegedly killed by the rebels. The rebels face the death penalty if convicted. AP has more.