Felicien Kabuga, 93, a Rwandan businessman accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, has died while in United Nations custody in The Hague, Netherlands.
The United Nations Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (UNIRMCT) confirmed that Kabuga died on Saturday, May 16, 2026, while hospitalized in the Netherlands.
“Mr. Felicien Kabuga passed away today while hospitalized in The Hague, The Netherlands,” the statement read in part.
At the time of his death, Felicien Kabuga was being held at the United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU) in The Hague as part of ongoing international judicial proceedings linked to the Rwanda genocide case.
In a statement, the UN mechanism said medical personnel at the detention facility were immediately notified following the death of Felicien Kabuga.
The organization also stated that Dutch authorities had launched the standard legal procedures and investigations required under national law following a death in custody.
“Exercising her authority under the Statute of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) and the Rules of Detention, the President of the Mechanism, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, has ordered a full inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Kabuga’s death, assigning Judge Alphons Orie to conduct the inquiry,” the statement confirmed.
Charges and Detention History After the Death of Felicien Kabuga in The Hague
The UNIRMCT has outlined the legal history and charges facing Felicien Kabuga following his death while in custody in The Hague, Netherlands.
According to a statement released by the UNIRMCT, Kabuga had been charged with genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, incitement to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity linked to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
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The charges also included persecution, extermination, and murder allegedly committed during the genocide period.
Additionally, the mechanism stated that an arrest warrant against Kabuga was issued by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) on April 29, 2013.
He was later arrested in France on May 16, 2020, after years as a fugitive, before being transferred to the Hague branch of the UN mechanism on October 26, 2020.
According to the statement, Kabuga’s trial officially began on September 29, 2022, under the UN Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.
Court Proceedings Halted
However, the proceedings were later halted after the court determined that he was no longer medically fit to stand trial.
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“The Trial Chamber issued a decision indefinitely staying the proceedings as Mr. Kabuga was considered unfit to stand trial, and ordering that he remains in detention at the UNDU, pending the resolution of the issue of his provisional release,” the UN statement read.
The UNIRMCT stated that on September 8, 2023, the Trial Chamber issued a decision indefinitely staying the proceedings following an earlier Appeals Chamber decision delivered on August 7, 2023.
The chamber also ordered that Felicien Kabuga remain in detention at the UNDU while discussions continued regarding his possible provisional release.
At the time of his death, the UN mechanism said Kabuga was awaiting transfer to a State willing to accept him under provisional release arrangements.
