Rwandan man receives 25-year sentence over genocide charges

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - A Rwandan court sentenced Jean Baptiste Mugimba on Thursday to 25 years in jail for genocide-related crimes committed in the capital of Kigali in 1994.

The High Court Specialized Chamber of International and Cross Border Crimes convicted, Mugimba, 63, of two offenses, including conspiracy to commit genocide and complicity in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group.

Mugimba’s crimes attracted a life sentence upon conviction but he was given a lighter sentence because he cooperated with the court during the trial, according to the court.

The prosecution alleged that Mugimba was in the company of Interahamwe militia at different rallies organized by his political party to plan the killing of members of the Tutsi ethnic group.

He was accused of convening a meeting of military, local government and party officials at his home in Kigali after the genocide had started, where they drew up a list of people to be killed in the different suburbs.

He was charged on several counts, including genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, murder and extermination as crimes against humanity, according to the prosecution.

Mugimba, who was a senior official of an extremist political party, the Coalition for the Defense of the Republic (CDR), was arrested in 2013 in The Netherlands following an international warrant issued by Rwanda.

He was extradited to Rwanda from The Netherlands in 2016 after his residence permit was revoked.

Between April 7 and July 15, 1994, an estimated 1 million people, mainly from the Tutsi ethnic community and moderate Hutus, were killed in 100 days.