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MANCHESTER, England — A former Rwandan government official accused of encouraging the 1994 genocide and ordering six murders will stand trial in London in October 2027, a judge at the Old Bailey ruled Friday, Courthouse News reported.
Vincent Brown, 65, formerly known as Vincent Bajinya, appeared by video from Belmarsh prison for a pretrial hearing. Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb set a provisional trial start date of Oct. 4, 2027, with proceedings expected to last eight to 12 weeks. Brown, who lives in Islington, north London, faces one charge of conduct ancillary to genocide and six charges of conduct ancillary to murder as a crime against humanity; he has denied involvement in the genocide and has not yet entered a plea. Another hearing to address his plea and prepare the case for trial is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2027.
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Prosecutors allege Brown directed or encouraged killings in Kigali during the opening days of the genocide, which followed the downing of President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane on April 6, 1994. The charges relate to the deaths of Dominique Mukurarinda, Immaculée Mukankusi, Gerase Rurangirwa, Charlotte Kamaguja, her infant son Olivier Tuyishime and taxi driver Leandre Mbogoye, which prosecutors say occurred between April 6 and April 13, 1994.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones told the court the genocide was “the most devastating wave of mass killing in modern history.” He added, “One hundred thousand were murdered in Kigali, especially in the first days and weeks of the genocide.” The 1994 campaign of killing against the Tutsi and political opponents is broadly estimated to have claimed more than 800,000 lives over roughly 100 days.
The court also heard that a £100,000 ($132,000) bail condition imposed earlier this month has not yet been met, Courthouse News reported.
Background and defence account
Court documents and reporting say Brown trained as a medical doctor in Rwanda in the 1980s and later became head of the Department of Family Health within the country’s National Office of Population. He and his family lived in a Kigali suburb; Brown has said he left Kigali in mid‑April 1994 and his defence says his family left Rwanda in July 1994.
Brown has lived in Britain for more than two decades. He previously worked for Praxis, a London charity that assists refugees, and served on the Refugee Nurses Task Force, which advised the British government.
When Brown first appeared in court in September, his lawyer Sam Blom‑Cooper acknowledged the gravity of the allegations and said the proceedings would give his client an opportunity to clear his name. Blom‑Cooper told the court, “These are appalling crimes, terrible murders that were committed back in 1994,” and added, “But this, finally, does represent the beginning of the end for Dr. Brown.”
Investigation and legal basis
The Crown Prosecution Service said the charges follow a seven‑year investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Team that began after a request from the Rwandan government in 2019. The case is being brought under British legislation that permits domestic prosecution of certain international crimes committed overseas. Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said prosecutors concluded the evidence met the legal test for charges while stressing Brown’s right to a fair trial, Courthouse News reported.
British police have said six other people remain under investigation over suspected crimes connected to the genocide, and that two men have been arrested on suspicion of genocide and crimes against humanity.
This report is based on reporting by Courthouse News and on statements made in open court, including by prosecutors, defence counsel and officials with the Crown Prosecution Service, as detailed by Courthouse News reporter James Francis Whitehead.
