KIGALI Rwanda AP Citing a lack of evidence the government of Rwanda on Tuesday released 76 prisoners held in connection with the 1994 massacre of an estimated half-million Tutsis. The government said the files of those released Tuesday from Kigali's Rilima prison had either been lost or did not support a charge of taking part in or supporting genocide. Rwanda's crowded jails hold 130000 people awaiting genocide trials most of them Hutus imprisoned on charges relating to the government-organized slaughter of more than 500000 minority Tutsis in 1994. To speed up trials and meet international justice standards the government announced it would release 31000 prisoners for lack of evidence. Many of those scheduled to be freed were detained on a simple accusation and have never been charged or questioned. So far more than 350 people have been tried in connection with the genocide and at least 120 have been sentenced to death. Firing squads executed 22 people on April 24. The nation's overburdened justice system is recovering from four years of civil war that killed or forced into exile many of the judges lawyers and court officials. Critics say the authorities are setting free those who perpetrated the massacre but whose police files were lost due to negligence or malice. Justice officials said they expected a number of those released to be rearrested if additional substantial evidence is brought against them. In Arusha Tanzania the United Nations has been conducting separate trials of Rwandan genocide suspects. The tribunal has 32 suspects in custody. Two have been sentenced to life in prison the maximum sentence the tribunal can impose. APW19981201.0464.txt.body.html APW19981201.1033.txt.body.html