Lawyers representing the alleged financier of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda have requested that charges against him be dropped on the grounds that he is unfit to stand trial due to ill health.

Félicien Kabuga, 84, was arrested a year ago in France and is detained in the Hague awaiting trial at a UN-backed court in Tanzania.

In a court document - seen by the AFP news agency - Mr Kabuga's lawyer argues that pursuing the case would constitute a serious breach of his rights.

Once one of Rwanda's richest men, Mr Kabuga allegedly helped create the Interahamwe Hutu militia and is accused of inciting Hutus to kill the population using the radio station he owned.