Five Rwandan genocide suspects live freely in Britain 30 years after massacre

To receive free, real-time news alerts sent directly to your inbox, sign up for our news emails sign up for our news emails free newsPlease enter a valid email addressPlease enter a valid email addressI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice{{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later.{{ /verifyErrors }}

Rwandan genocide suspects still living freely in Britain, 30 years after massacre that killed 800,000 people, amid 'inexplicable' delays in British police investigation into these allegations.

Rwandan MPs and authorities have called on the Metropolitan Police – who opened an investigation six years ago – to hurry and decide whether they can prosecute the five men, based in the Kingdom -United in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide.

The five suspects, who have lived in the UK for decades, deny any involvement in the atrocities and have never been brought to trial to answer. One of the men is accused of helping carry out attacks in a village where 40,000 Tutsis are believed to have died.

British High Court judges have so far rejected extradition requests of Rwanda, fearing that the men would not be judged fairly. trial in their home country.

But officials in Kigali have called for a trial in the UK instead, with Britain accused of being "lag behind" other countries in ensure suspects respond to allegations. France and Belgium are among countries that have already held trials for a number of defendants.

Activists and politicians have now urged the government to ensure "justice is done", fearing that time runs out for the suspects. to respond to the allegations, and as the country marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the genocide against the Tutsi, which took place between April 7 and July 15, 1994.

This comes as Rishi Sunak is fighting to push through its controversial Rwanda deportation plan, which, if passed, would see asylum seekers who arrived in the UK illegally sent to the East African country. They are currently not allowed to be sent there because Rwanda is not considered safe.

Reporter Amy-Clare Martin approaches suspect Celestin Mutabaruka in 2019 (Mirrorpix)

Speaking to The Independent, Conservative MP Stephen Crabb, chair of the war crimes committee...