Rwanda: Genocide Convict Béatrice Munyenyezi’s Appeal Trial to Resume in May

The High Council Chamber for International Crimes (HCCIC) in Nyanza District is set to continue the appeal trial of genocide convict Béatrice Munyenyezi on May 14. Munyenyezi is appealing a conviction for her role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, particularly in the former Butare prefecture, now Huye District.

On April 12, last year, the Huye Intermediate Court convicted her on four charges: murder as a crime of genocide, complicity in genocide, incitement to commit genocide, and complicity in rape. She was acquitted of planning genocide due to insufficient evidence and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Munyenyezi, who was deported from the United States in 2021, denies all charges and her legal team has argued that the witnesses brought against her are inconsistent and unreliable. Some witnesses alleged that Munyenyezi was a university student at the time, while she claims she had not even completed secondary school at CEFOTEC and was pregnant with twins during the genocide and never participated in any act of genocide. Instead, she claims that she is affiliated with a family that includes convicted people.

Her husband, Arsène Shalom Ntahobali, and her mother-in-law, Pauline Nyiramasuhuko–the former Minister of Family and Women’s Affairs–were both convicted of genocide and are serving 47-year sentences in Arusha, Tanzania.

Munyenyezi insists she should not be held accountable for the actions of her in-laws.

Prosecutors refute her claims, stating that not all members of the family were charged with genocide crimes, citing her father-in-law, Maurice Ntahobali, who is alive and has not been prosecuted.

During the latest hearing held on April 16, the prosecution stated that although Munyenyezi was not enrolled at the National University of Rwanda, she acted as though she was a student there.

The prosecution noted that Munyenyezi lived with a girl she had attended high school with, who was studying at the university, and that they had spent time together on various occasions.

Prosecution added that during the 1994 Genocide, university students were regarded as influential voices capable of inciting violence, which explains why Munyenyezi sought to present herself as one of them.

The prosecution also added that it is currently investigating her claim of having studied at CEFOTEC Secondary School, noting that her name does not appear in the school’s official records.

Munyenyezi was also convicted of rape. According to the prosecution, her family’s hotel served as a place where Interahamwe militia were paid to rape girls and women. This took place under the watch of Munyenyezi, Nyiramasuhuko, and Shalom Ntahobali.

During earlier hearings, her lawyers argued that witnesses had fabricated their stories but prosecution maintained that the testimonies were consistent with investigations.

In a separate session this week, Munyenyezi claimed she had been subjected to harassment and denied basic rights by fellow inmates at Mageragere correctional facility in Kigali. The court agreed to visit the prison to assess her claims.

By New Times.