French prosecutors have requested Cour d’Assises de Paris to hand a life sentence to the suspect Philippe Hategekimana, commonly known as ‘Biguma,’ for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Hategekimana was formerly a deputy commander of Gendarmerie (police) is facing charges of orchestrating the murder of Tutsi and establishing roadblocks to intercept and massacre Tutsi in the hills of Nyamure and Nyabubare, as well as the former Ntyazo, Nyabisindu, and Rusatira communes–all located in the southern province in the current Nyanza District.
The trial is currently held in France and commenced on May 10 and is expected to conclude on June 30.
Throughout the trial, the court has been presented with numerous testimonies from both sides. In particular, witnesses have provided accounts highlighting the principal role played by the suspect in the death of Narcisse Nyagasaza, the former Bourgmestre of Ntyazo Commune.
However, Hategekimana pledges not guilty to all charges pleaded not guilty to all charges, explaining that every day he sees people he doesn’t know testifying against him on false accusations. He further claimed that their testimonies are controversial.
Hategekimana further told the court that “recognising his innocence does not mean denying the genocide or softening the suffering of the victims.”
Furthermore, he emphasized that in April 1994, he was not in Nyanza as repeatedly stated in various testimonies.