A former Rwandan official has appeared in a London court after being charged with offences linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, including allegations that he encouraged violence against Tutsis and ordered six killings.

Vincent Brown, formerly known as Vincent Bajinya, is the first person to be charged in Britain over the genocide, according to prosecutors. More than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed during approximately 100 days of mass violence in Rwanda.

Brown, 65, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. He faces one charge relating to conduct allegedly connected to genocide in Kigali between April 6 and 13, 1994, during the first week of the killings.

He also faces six charges alleging conduct connected to murder as a crime against humanity. Prosecutors allege that he ordered the killings of six people over a four-day period, including a young mother and her infant son.

Prosecutor Jane Stansfield told the court that Brown was head of the Department of Family Health within Rwanda’s National Office of Population when the genocide began.

Stansfield said witnesses, including Brown’s neighbours, had alleged that he was a leader and supervisor of physical violence carried out by others.

Brown has denied involvement in the genocide. He has lived in Britain for more than two decades and told authorities that he left Kigali in April 1994, while his family left Rwanda several months later.

His lawyer, Sam Blom-Cooper, said Brown welcomed the charges because they would give him an opportunity to clear his name.

The defence acknowledged the seriousness of the crimes alleged but maintained that Brown was not responsible for them.

Judge Paul Goldspring initially granted Brown bail ahead of his next appearance at the Old Bailey, scheduled for October 9, subject to a financial security requirement.

However, prosecutors said they intended to challenge the bail decision. As a result, Brown remained in custody pending a further hearing later in the week.

The British police War Crimes Team said six other people remained under investigation in connection with the Rwandan genocide. Two of those individuals have been arrested on suspicion of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The case represents a significant development in Britain’s investigation of alleged crimes connected to the 1994 genocide.

SOURCE: Reuters, Sam Tobin, September 22, 2026.