Peter recently drafted a thoughtful article on Minnesota treaty rights. Hope he’s well.
From the Lounge:
William Mitchell Law Prof Peter Erlinder has been arrested in Kigali on charges of denying the Rwandan genocide. Erlinder is well known for defense work at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and was in Kigali representing Victoire Ingabire, a leading opposition candidate herself targeted by Rwandan authorities after she claimed that crimes committed against Hutus during the 1994 genocide were deliberately overlooked.
Here’s a fitting excerpt of the statement released by William Mitchell:
William Mitchell has a 110-year history of legal education that is engaged with the legal profession, and we support and encourage the legal pursuits of our faculty beyond the college. Prof. Erlinder is in Rwanda to represent Victoire Ingabire, an opposition candidate for President of Rwanda who was arrested over accusations of promoting genocide ideology. In traveling to Rwanda, Prof. Erlinder exemplifies the great tradition of lawyers who take on the representation of unpopular clients and causes. That Prof. Erlinder did so at great personal risk demonstrates the strength of his commitment to justice and due process. We support his commitment to justice, the rule of law, and public service, which are the core of the lawyer’s function in society and values Prof. Erlinder works to instill in the students he teaches at William Mitchell.
-Kathleen Bergin
Turtle Talk 
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” a well-known quote from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis.
Best description of the situation over all:
http://hungryoftruth.blogspot.com/2010/06/erlinders-arrest-puts-focus-on-fierce.html
LATEST UPDATE:
Peter had a 5 hour hearing yesterday, pleaded not guilty to the charges during a five-hour court hearing late Friday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
“I believed the country has grown democratically, but if I am detained and prosecuted, my case will be confirm what is being said out there,” Erlinder said.
Appearing weak in court, Erlinder asked to be granted bail so he could return home for treatment, and promised to comply with any conditions the court sets.
“It is the first time I have come to know that my obscure publications back in America were that bad and could amount to genocide denial,” Erlinder told the court. He suggested it may be a case of misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison. Erlinder was upset when the judge said he will decide on Monday whether to grant bail.
He said he hadn’t been mistreated, but also had not had contact with anyone while in Rwandan custody.
“I haven’t talked to anyone in my family, I haven’t listened to the radio or watched TV since I was arrested. I haven’t talked to my doctor,” he said.
Judge Maurice Mbishibishi said he would decide Monday whether to grant bail.
Prosecutor Richard Muhumuza argued against it while investigation was ongoing, but agreed not to object if a medical examination determined Erlinder needed treatment in the United States.
Authorities are considering a joint medical evaluation involving a doctor of Erlinder’s choice, Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said, while rejecting a U.S. request made Thursday for the lawyer’s release on compassionate and humanitarian grounds.
“We are sensitive to medical and health conditions, whether it’s for American citizens or others, but we cannot short circuit the legal process, so we stand advised by mental health professions on what needs to happen,” Mushikiwabo said.
THIS IDEA THAT HE IS MENTALLY ILL IS RIDICULOUS. MEDIA HAS SAID HE HAS “HAD ISSUES” WITH MENTAL HEALTH. WELL, IF I WERE IN A JAIL IN KIGALI AND UNDER THIS STRESS, I CERTAINLY WOULDN’T BE IN GREAT MENTAL HEALTH.
THE THOUGHT THAT PETER WOULD TRY TO COMMIT SUICIDE IS UNBELIEVABLE- BUT HOW WOULD WE KNOW? WE’RE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO HIM- DESPITE WHAT THE RWANDAN GOVERNMENT MAY SAY.
Please contact your Senators and Representatives as soon as possible to have them push the State Dept. for Peter’s release.
He has been unrelenting in trying to get justice and fairness for ALL peoples.
I met Peter Erlinder in Barcelona several months ago and spent many hours discussing events before the ICTR, where I had defended a case several years ago. Peter is a superb lawyer and academic. He is no seatofthepants faux-radical in search of the limelight. He is a lawyer and scholar who presents his arguments founded on research and facts not flamboyance. He has, in my opinion, developed an overwhelming case that unmasks Kagame’s role in the events leading up to the genocide. In my view Peter’s arrest is an attempt to still his voice. They wish to prosecute him as a means of preventing him from speaking. His life is in immediate and extreme danger.
Steve Kelliher.