Stockholm  - Swedish authorities on Thursday asked that a Rwandan national be appointed a defence lawyer the day after he was detained on suspicion of crimes against humanity in Rwanda.

According to a spokeswoman for the Swedish Prosecution Authority, the man identified as Sylvere Ahorugeze, born 1956, was detained Wednesday after Swedish police were alerted by staff at the Rwandan embassy in Sweden.

Prosecutor Lars Hedvall has contacted authorities in Rwanda over the case and in a brief press statement Thursday said he was awaiting word whether the Rwandan capital Kigali wanted his extradition.

Ahorugeze is suspected of committing crimes against humanity during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and was allegedly involved in killing some 25 people from the same family.

He has lived in neighbouring Denmark for several years and had accompanied his wife to the embassy where she was trying to renew identification papers.

Danish authorities held him over similar suspicions, but he was subsequently released and awarded damages when a special prosecutor dropped the case.

The 1994 genocide is estimated to have claimed the lives of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. (dpa)