[JURIST] Belgian prosecutors announced Wednesday that police in Belgium arrested Rwandan Mathias Bushishi Monday for his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide [HRW backgrounder; JURIST news archive]. Police arrested Bushishi [RFI report] on an international arrest warrant [Interpol warrant] that includes charges of war crimes and genocide. Bushishi is accused of using his role as prosecutor to assist in the extermination of Tutsis in the city of Butare during the genocide. Belgian law allows the government to prosecute Belgian residents for war crimes and genocide committed in other countries, meaning Bushishi may be tried in Belgium. Bushishi will appear in court [De Standaard report, in Dutch] Friday.

Last month, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) [official website; JURIST news archive] sentenced former Murambi Commune mayor Jean-Baptiste Gatete to life in prison [JURIST report] after finding him guilty of committing genocide. In January, the ICTR began trying former Rwandan military official Idelphonse Nizeyimana and Germany started trying former mayor Onesphore Rwabukombe [JURIST reports]. Both men are accused of committing war crimes and genocide against Tutsis during the civil war. Belgium has previously tried and convicted four people in connection with the Rwandan genocide. In 2007, a Belgian court convicted former military official Bernard Ntuyahaga of premeditated [JURIST report] homicide for killing 10 Belgian peacekeepers during the conflict.