[JURIST] A French court of appeals Wednesday released two men accused of involvement in the 1994 Rwanda genocide [BBC backgrounder], finding that the warrants issued for their arrest by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) [official website] could not be executed. Catholic priest Wenceslas Munyeshyaka and former civil servant Laurent Bucyibaruta [TrialWatch profiles] were arrested [JURIST report] by French authorities last month. Rwanda's representative at the ICTR, Aloys Mutabingwa, blasted the decision to free the suspects as politically motivated, but Rwandan justice minister Tharcisse Karugarama declined to comment until he learned more about the situation.

Munyeshyaka is accused [ICTR indictment, PDF] of repeatedly participating in the selection of Tutsi that were to be killed, as well as serving as an informant against Hutus who aided Tutsis. Munyeshyaka is also believed have participated in the rape of several women. Both suspects were arrested on international warrants issued by the ICTR in June. AFP has more.