A 65-year-old London doctor has been arrested and charged in connection with the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, marking the first time such criminal charges have been brought in the UK.

Dr Vincent Brown, also known as Bajinya, of Islington, north London, was taken into custody this afternoon following a seven-year investigation by the Counter Terrorism Policing War Crimes Team.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges under Section 52 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001. Brown faces one count alleging conduct ancillary to genocide, alongside six counts relating to alleged conduct ancillary to murder as a crime against humanity.

Prosecutors allege that during April 1994 in Kigali, Brown directed, incited and encouraged others to kill members of the Tutsi ethnic group with the intention of contributing to the group's destruction, as part of a wider pattern of similar conduct.

The British police inquiry commenced in September 2019 after the Rwandan government made a formal request for UK authorities to investigate suspects linked to killings in the Rugenge district of the capital.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said securing the UK's first charges linked to a genocide required extensive international cooperation and multiple deployments abroad. She said the case showed the UK is not a safe haven for those suspected of international crimes, and confirmed that further inquiries into other individuals in Britain remain ongoing. She also extended thoughts to the Rwandan people and families who lost relatives in the genocide.

Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, stated that the decision to charge followed an independent review of police evidence, conducted strictly in accordance with the law.

An estimated 800,000 people were killed over roughly 100 days during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

Brown has not been convicted of any crime and retains the right to a fair trial. The CPS has reminded the public that proceedings are active and warned against publishing commentary that could cause prejudice.

Brown remains in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court tomorrow, Tuesday 22 September. I will continue to follow the proceedings as the case moves through the courts.