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AFP
Kigali
Rwanda’s High Court on Thursday sentenced a former mayor to life in prison for his role in the country’s 1994 genocide, which included leading attacks that resulted in the deaths of around 25,000 ethnic Tutsis in his town.
Ladislas Ntaganzwa was one of the top fugitive suspects, accused of playing a key role in the massacre of some 800,000 mostly Tutsi but also moderate Hutus, when he was arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2015.
A statement from Rwanda’s prosecution authority said the court “convicted him for genocide, extermination as crime against humanity and rape as crime against humanity and sentenced him to life imprisonment.”
Ntaganzwa was however “not found guilty of murder as crime against humanity and direct and public incitement to commit genocide,” the prosecution authority said.
Ntaganzwa -- who had a $5-million US bounty on his head -- was accused of organising “the massacre of thousands of Tutsis at various locations,” the UN-backed Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) said when he was arrested.
“He was also alleged to have orchestrated the rape and sexual violence committed against many women,” it said.
Kigali
Rwanda’s High Court on Thursday sentenced a former mayor to life in prison for his role in the country’s 1994 genocide, which included leading attacks that resulted in the deaths of around 25,000 ethnic Tutsis in his town.
Ladislas Ntaganzwa was one of the top fugitive suspects, accused of playing a key role in the massacre of some 800,000 mostly Tutsi but also moderate Hutus, when he was arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2015.
A statement from Rwanda’s prosecution authority said the court “convicted him for genocide, extermination as crime against humanity and rape as crime against humanity and sentenced him to life imprisonment.”
Ntaganzwa was however “not found guilty of murder as crime against humanity and direct and public incitement to commit genocide,” the prosecution authority said.
Ntaganzwa -- who had a $5-million US bounty on his head -- was accused of organising “the massacre of thousands of Tutsis at various locations,” the UN-backed Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) said when he was arrested.
“He was also alleged to have orchestrated the rape and sexual violence committed against many women,” it said.
