On 14 July 2025, two pro forma hearings took place at the District Court of The Hague. At 11:00 AM, the Court considered the case of a 67-year-old man suspected of having committed acts of genocide against Tutsis in Mugina, Rwanda, in 1994 (known as the ‘Ardech’ case). Later, at 2:00 PM, the Court addressed the case against a Syrian man who is suspected of having committed serious crimes against civilians and opponents of the Syrian regime during the Syrian civil war (known as the Druten case).
In the Ardech case, the Court first discussed the progress of the investigation against the suspect, before turning to the defense’s requests. These requests concerned the hearing of four witnesses, which had previously been denied by the investigating judge (Rechter Commissaris). According to the defense, these witnesses could provide insight into the events during the genocide in Rwanda, the suspect’s involvement, the subsequent Gacaca trials, and the reliability of other witnesses. In support of its request, the defense submitted a short video fragment containing an interview with a survivor of the genocide. The Court, however, denied the requests.
The Court also extensively discussed whether the suspect’s pre-trial detention should be continued. The defense argued that the reasonable time limit had been exceeded and that general circumstances could no longer suffice as a basis for continued detention. The Court found that there are still sufficient grounds to justify the suspect’s continued detention. However, the Court requested the Public Prosecution Service to prepare a suspension report, which should clarify—by the next pro forma hearing—whether and under what conditions the suspect might be able to await trial in liberty. The next pro forma hearing is scheduled for 23 September at 1:30 PM.
In the Druten case, the court commenced by discussing a new charge brought against the suspect. Based on a new witness statement, the Public Prosecutor (OM) requested to add a new suspicion to the case. This new allegation concerns (another instance of) torture in the form of sexual violence during the suspect’s tenure with the NDF. The parties also discussed further additions to the case file. Several new witness statements have been included, as well as a suspected NDF distribution list concerning rifles, in which the suspect’s name appears. Other aspects of the investigation are still ongoing — such as the examination of the suspect’s phone card — and have therefore only been provisionally added to the file.
The issue of pre-trial detention was also addressed. The public prosecutor requested that the suspect remand in custody, with the new charge as an additional legal basis. The defense argued that this new charge cannot substantively justify continued detention, as its content does not add to the accusation of torture. The defense also maintained that the reasonable time limit for pre-trial detention has been exceeded — the suspect has now been in custody for 19 months — and that detention should be a measure of last resort (ultimum remedium), with alternatives always taking precedence over detention. The court concluded that, while the legal qualification of the facts will be examined during the substantive hearing, there are currently sufficiently strong suspicions against the suspect to justify continued pre-trial detention, both for the new charge and the existing ones. The next pro forma hearing is scheduled for Monday, October 6 at 9:30 AM.
