Rwanda ex-official pleads not guilty to genocide charges before ICTR News
Rwanda ex-official pleads not guilty to genocide charges before ICTR

[JURIST] Former Rwandan Minister of Youth and Sports Callixte Nzabonimana [TrialWatch profile] Wednesday pleaded not guilty [ICTR press release] to charges [indictment, DOC] relating to Rwanda's 1994 genocide in his first appearance before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) [official website; JURIST news archive]. Nzabonimana was arrested [JURIST report] Monday in Tanzania and faces charges of conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitements to commit genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of Article 3 of the Geneva Convention. The UN News Centre has more.

The ICTR was established to try genocide suspects for crimes occurring during the 1994 Rwandan conflict [HRW backgrounder] between Hutus and Tutsis in which approximately 800,000 people, primarily Tutsis, died.

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11th Amendent to US Constitution ratified

On February 7, 1795, the 11th Amendment to the United States Constitution took effect with ratification by North Carolina. Adopted in the aftermath of the US Supreme Court's ruling in Chisholm v. Georgia, the amendment limited the jurisdiction of the federal courts to automatically hear cases brought against a state by the citizens of another state. Learn more about the meaning and history of the 11th Amendment from the National Constitution Center.

Maastricht Treaty signed, creating EU

On February 7, 1992, the Maastricht Treaty was signed by the members of the European Community, creating the European Union. Officially called the Treaty on the European Union, the original Maastricht Treaty went into force on November 1, 1993. The current Maastricht Treaty includes amendments from later EU treaties.