Africa-Press. The criminal court in Paris has opened appeal hearings in the case of Claude Muhayimana, a French-Rwandan citizen convicted in December 2021 of complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity committed in Rwanda in 1994. He was sentenced at the time to 14 years in prison before appealing the verdict and requesting a retrial.
Background of the case
In 1994, Muhayimana worked as a driver in the Kibuye region of western Rwanda, one of the main centers of mass killings targeting the Tutsi population. Prosecutors accuse him of transporting members of the Interahamwe militia and soldiers to sites of mass massacres, including Karongi, Gitwa, and Bisesero, where tens of thousands of civilians were killed.
During the initial trial, witnesses testified that the defendant was seen driving vehicles carrying armed militias to massacre sites, leading judges to view him as part of the machinery that carried out the genocide, despite the fact that he held no political or military position.
The defendant has denied all charges, maintaining that he was not present in Kibuye during some of the events and arguing that the case lacks conclusive material evidence.
A judicial significance beyond the individual
The Muhayimana case carries particular symbolic weight in France, as it marked the first trial of a person described as an “ordinary citizen” for participation in the genocide against the Tutsi. If convicted again on appeal, he could face a sentence of life imprisonment. For victims and their families, the central objective remains the establishment of individual responsibility for one of the most horrific tragedies of the twentieth century.
