Facts
Eugène Rwamucyo was the head of the Center of Public Health of the University of Butare in 1994. He is accused of having supervised the burial of Tutsi victims and of finishing off those already injured in the Butare prefecture.
Procedure
On 23 April 2007, the Collectif des parties civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR) lodged a complaint against Rwamucyo for his alleged participation in the genocide.
On 18 July 2007, the prosecutor of Lille opened a judicial investigation, which was transferred to investigative judges of the Paris Tribunal in November 2007. The CPCR was admitted as a civil party in the case at the opening of the investigation. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) also became a civil party in 2010.
On 18 September 2013, Rwamucyo was indicted while under investigation (mis en examen) for genocide through serious bodily or mental harm and crimes against humanity of extrajudicial execution, torture and other inhumane acts. He was placed under judicial surveillance.
On 19 December 2018, the investigative judge informed the parties that he had completed his investigation.
On 7 April 2020, the prosecution issued its final submission requesting that Rwamucyo be sent to trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
On 13 October 2020, the investigative judge referred the case to the Paris Criminal Court for complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity. Rwamucyo appealed this decision.
In September 2022, the Paris Court of Appeal rejected Rwamucyo’s appeal and confirmed the referral of his case to the Paris Criminal Court. The defense appealed this decision before the French Supreme Court (Cour de cassation).
In January 2023, the French Supreme Court (Cour de cassation) dismissed the appeal and definitively confirmed Rwamucyo’s referral to the Paris Criminal Court.
Rwamucyo was tried before the Paris Criminal Court between 1 and 25 October 2024.
He was found guilty of the charges of complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity, as well as participating in a group formed to prepare genocide and crimes against humanity.
He was acquitted of the charges of committing genocide and crimes against humanity as a direct perpetrator.
Rwamucyo was sentenced to 27 years of imprisonment.
Rwamucyo and the Public Prosecutor’s Office both lodged appeals against this decision. The dates for the appeal trial have not yet been set.