Rwanda said on Sunday a genocide suspect held in Finland would receive a fair trial at home.

Rwandan authorities said they were disappointed by Finland’s decision, announced on Friday, not to extradite Francois Bazaramba, a former Baptist pastor, whom they accuse of orchestrating the murder of 5,000 people in 1994.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) says suspects referred to Rwanda may not receive a fair trial, a charge that the government dismisses as baseless.

"Rwandan judicial authorities have worked tirelessly to provide fair and transparent trials to genocide suspects," the government said in a statement.

Finland and Rwanda recently completed an investigation into Bazaramba’s role in the 1994 genocide of 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. A Finnish prosecutor is considering pressing charges.

Reuters