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| Britain Holds Rwanda Spy Chief on Spanish War Crimes Charges | Britain Holds Rwanda Spy Chief on Spanish War Crimes Charges |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| LONDON — The chief of Rwanda’s intelligence service, who is wanted in Spain on war crimes charges, was being held in London on Tuesday after his arrest prompted diplomatic and political protests and reopened debate about responsibility for killings in Rwanda two decades ago. | |
| The Rwandan official, Karenzi Karake, the director general of the National Intelligence and Security Services and a member of the country’s governing party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, was detained at Heathrow Airport on Saturday morning. | The Rwandan official, Karenzi Karake, the director general of the National Intelligence and Security Services and a member of the country’s governing party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, was detained at Heathrow Airport on Saturday morning. |
| The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that Mr. Karake, 54, had been detained “on a European arrest warrant on behalf of the authorities in Spain.” The arrest warrant system is intended to speed extraditions among European Union nations in cases involving allegations of serious crimes. | |
| An estimated 800,000 people, mainly Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu, were killed in 1994 by ethnic Hutu extremists in a genocide that ended when the Rwandan Patriotic Front, or R.P.F., a Tutsi-led movement, took control of the country. | An estimated 800,000 people, mainly Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu, were killed in 1994 by ethnic Hutu extremists in a genocide that ended when the Rwandan Patriotic Front, or R.P.F., a Tutsi-led movement, took control of the country. |
| Mr. Karake’s arrest revived a debate between those who praise his actions as a military commander for ending Rwanda’s genocide and human rights campaigners who say that he and his colleagues were also responsible for war crimes as they tightened their grip on the country. | Mr. Karake’s arrest revived a debate between those who praise his actions as a military commander for ending Rwanda’s genocide and human rights campaigners who say that he and his colleagues were also responsible for war crimes as they tightened their grip on the country. |
| A Spanish national judge, Fernando Andreu, brought charges against Mr. Karake in 2008 on accusations that he took part in the genocide, as well as in killings that include those of three Spanish aid workers who died in 1997. | A Spanish national judge, Fernando Andreu, brought charges against Mr. Karake in 2008 on accusations that he took part in the genocide, as well as in killings that include those of three Spanish aid workers who died in 1997. |
| “There has been significant progress in ensuring justice for victims of genocide in Rwanda,” said Carina Tertsakian, senior researcher on Rwanda for Human Rights Watch, “but thousands of victims and their families are still waiting for justice for crimes committed by members of the R.P.F. since 1994.” | “There has been significant progress in ensuring justice for victims of genocide in Rwanda,” said Carina Tertsakian, senior researcher on Rwanda for Human Rights Watch, “but thousands of victims and their families are still waiting for justice for crimes committed by members of the R.P.F. since 1994.” |
| “Victims and witnesses of human rights violations have often cited his name in connection with crimes going back to the 1990s,” Ms. Tertsakian said of Mr. Karake. | “Victims and witnesses of human rights violations have often cited his name in connection with crimes going back to the 1990s,” Ms. Tertsakian said of Mr. Karake. |
| His arrest appears to have caught diplomats by surprise, partly because Mr. Karake visited Britain on previous occasions without incident. | His arrest appears to have caught diplomats by surprise, partly because Mr. Karake visited Britain on previous occasions without incident. |
| On Twitter, Rwanda’s foreign minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, described Mr. Karake’s arrest as “an outrage” and said, “Western solidarity in demeaning Africans is unacceptable.” | |
| Mr. Karake is scheduled to appear in court in London on Thursday. | |
| The arrest drew objections in Britain. Andrew Mitchell, a former British international development secretary who as a minister established close ties with the Rwandan government, told British lawmakers on Tuesday that the European arrest warrant process had been misused “by a junior Spanish judge for political rather than judicial purposes.” | The arrest drew objections in Britain. Andrew Mitchell, a former British international development secretary who as a minister established close ties with the Rwandan government, told British lawmakers on Tuesday that the European arrest warrant process had been misused “by a junior Spanish judge for political rather than judicial purposes.” |
| In response, the British justice secretary, Michael Gove, said in Parliament that he would “look very closely” at the case. | In response, the British justice secretary, Michael Gove, said in Parliament that he would “look very closely” at the case. |
| The office of Prime Minister David Cameron said the police had a legal obligation to act on the arrest warrant. There was no explanation of why Mr. Karake had been able to make earlier visits to Britain without arrest. | The office of Prime Minister David Cameron said the police had a legal obligation to act on the arrest warrant. There was no explanation of why Mr. Karake had been able to make earlier visits to Britain without arrest. |
| If Mr. Karake is extradited, the case against him in Spain could be complicated by legislation the government pushed through Parliament last year that significantly reduced the authority of Judge Andreu and his colleagues in National Court to pursue human rights cases around the world. | If Mr. Karake is extradited, the case against him in Spain could be complicated by legislation the government pushed through Parliament last year that significantly reduced the authority of Judge Andreu and his colleagues in National Court to pursue human rights cases around the world. |
| The legislation was largely intended to appease China, whose government was infuriated by the court’s decision to pursue former President Jiang Zemin and former Prime Minister Li Peng in a case involving accusations of human rights abuses in Tibet. | The legislation was largely intended to appease China, whose government was infuriated by the court’s decision to pursue former President Jiang Zemin and former Prime Minister Li Peng in a case involving accusations of human rights abuses in Tibet. |
| But it is unclear how the change would apply to existing cases. | But it is unclear how the change would apply to existing cases. |