The Paris Assize Court on July 17, 2026, delivered a landmark appellate judgment by upholding the conviction of Dr. Eugène Rwamucyo for genocide and crimes against humanity committed in Butare during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The Court confirmed the 27-year prison sentence imposed by the court of first instance on October 30, 2024, bringing to a close one of the most closely watched genocide cases prosecuted in France under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
The appellate ruling affirmed the findings reached during the original trial, reinforcing the Court’s conclusion that the evidence presented established Rwamucyo’s criminal responsibility. For survivors and victims’ families, the judgment represents the conclusion of a lengthy legal process that has spanned decades since the atrocities were committed. The verdict also extinguished hopes among some of the defendant’s supporters that the conviction would be overturned, as the Court reaffirmed both the factual record and the jury’s conclusions.
Throughout the proceedings, the defense challenged numerous allegations related to Rwamucyo’s conduct before and during the genocide. However, the appellate court found no basis to overturn the original judgment. The decision also rejected arguments advanced by several of Rwamucyo’s supporters, including genocide denier Chaste Gahunde, whose public statements during the trial sought to challenge the prosecution’s evidence and cast doubt on witness testimony.
Among the issues examined during the proceedings were claims concerning the ethnic identity of Rwamucyo’s wife, Mukabanyana Mamérique. Defense testimony asserted that she had no defined ethnic identity before or during the genocide. Prosecutors and civil parties disputed that assertion, noting that Rwanda’s national identity cards at the time officially recorded ethnic affiliation and played a decisive role during the genocide by determining who was spared and who was targeted at roadblocks and checkpoints.
The Court also considered Rwamucyo’s denial that Tutsi civilians were killed at the Butare University Public Health Center (CUSP), where he served as Director General, and at the Butare University Teaching Hospital (CHUB). Prosecutors relied on prior Gacaca court findings that had convicted Rwamucyo for the murder of Cécile Nyirasikubwabo, a CUSP employee, acting in collaboration with fellow staff member Félicité Musanganire. The proceedings further referenced the killings of other CUSP employees, including Gasana Callixte and Mukamusoni Césarie, whose deaths directly contradicted the defense’s position.
Evidence presented during the appeal also highlighted the broader involvement of medical personnel in the genocide in Butare. Records from the Gacaca courts showed that 29 physicians and 31 nurses from institutions including CHUB, CUSP, LABOPHAR, CARAES, and Kabutare had previously been convicted of genocide-related crimes.
Among those cited were former CHUB Director Dr. Jotham Nshimyumukiza, convicted in connection with the murders of medical assistant Jean-Claude Karekezi, other Tutsi hospital employees, and patients; Dr. Pascal Habarugira, convicted for the murder of nurse Vénantie Mukangango; Dr. Berthe Nyiraruhango, convicted in the killings of a Tutsi child and nurse Hawa Uzamukunda; Dr. Aloys Nyagasaza, convicted for the murder of medical assistant Bernardin Nkundayezu; and Dr. Emmanuel Twagirayezu, convicted of handing Tutsi patients over to militia members and soldiers from the École des Sous-Officiers (ESO).
The proceedings also recalled convictions of several nurses and healthcare workers who had served under Rwamucyo’s leadership at CUSP. Uwimana Thérèse, Musabyemariya Marceline, Mukamurangwa Marie Rose, Nyiramisago Thérèse, Kantengwa Annonciata, and Mukamuzima Philomène were all convicted by Gacaca courts for genocide-related crimes. Each has since completed their prison sentence.
A key prosecution witness was Dr. Rony Zachariah, who arrived in Rwanda in February 1994 to coordinate Médecins Sans Frontières operations and worked at CHUB throughout the genocide. He testified before the Court that between 150 and 200 Tutsi patients and hospital employees were forcibly removed from the hospital and killed by colleagues, militia members, and soldiers from the ESO. The appellate court found his testimony credible and consistent with the broader body of evidence presented.
Additional documentary evidence demonstrated that CHUB conducted a post-genocide effort to identify Tutsi employees and patients who were killed during the massacres. The hospital documented 82 victims whose names continue to be honored during annual commemorations. Among those identified were Jean-Claude Karekezi, Wenceslas Kajeguhakwa, Protais Nyangezi, Capitoline Kayitegere, Immaculée Mukagakwaya, Jean Damascène Kabalisa, Callixte Ntawukuriryayo, Vénantie Mukamazina, Wilson Samusoni, Marie Claire Gakwanzi, and Vénantie Mukangango.
The appeal also examined Rwamucyo’s claim that his native commune of Gatonde in the former Ruhengeri Prefecture contained only one Tutsi family and therefore did not experience genocide. Historical records and testimony presented before the Court challenged that assertion, describing systematic attacks against Tutsi residents beginning on April 8, 1994, under the authority of Busengo Sub-prefect Dismas Nzanana, who was later sentenced to life imprisonment by Rwandan courts.
Evidence presented identified killings at the Busengo Sub-prefecture offices, Janja Catholic Parish, the Ruhengeri Court of Appeal, and along the Mukungwa and Nyabarongo rivers. Survivors also recalled notorious roadblocks at Bunyironko, Ibyibuhiro, and Mu Biziba where many Tutsi civilians were intercepted and murdered. Court records further identified numerous perpetrators convicted through Gacaca proceedings and documented the names of victims whose deaths remain part of the historical record.
The ruling represents another significant milestone in international efforts to prosecute perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. By affirming the conviction, the Paris Assize Court reinforced France’s commitment to applying universal jurisdiction in genocide cases and underscored the principle that genocide remains a crime without a statute of limitations. For many survivors and victims’ families, the judgment serves as a reminder that accountability can still be achieved decades after the crimes were committed and that distance from Rwanda does not shield those accused of genocide from facing justice.
