On Friday, the Paris Court of Assize upheld the 27-year prison sentence imposed on Rwandan physician Eugène Rwamucyo, convicted of complicity in genocide and crimes against humanity. The ruling confirms the judgment delivered at first instance in October 2024, rejecting the appeal lodged by the former doctor.

The court found that Rwamucyo had played a role in the implementation of the genocide in the former Butare prefecture, notably by participating in the concealment and burial of thousands of victims killed during the massacres.

The decision represents another significant milestone in France’s ongoing prosecution of individuals suspected of involvement in the Genocide against the Tutsi who later settled on French territory.

Family expresses disappointment

Outside the courthouse, emotions ran high as relatives reacted to the verdict.
"I truly did not expect this outcome," Rwamucyo’s daughter told reporters. "I believed justice would prevail, but I don’t think we received justice today. It is an immense disappointment."

The appeal proceedings saw the defence considerably strengthen its legal team, increasing from two lawyers at the first trial to seven during the appeal.

Defence lawyer Salomé Cohen insisted that the legal strategy had fundamentally changed from the first trial.

"Our client has never questioned the reality of the Genocide against the Tutsi," she said. "We deliberately abandoned any line of defence that could be interpreted as genocide denial because we believed such an approach had been detrimental during the first trial. Nevertheless, throughout these proceedings, the civil parties repeatedly accused us of pursuing such a strategy."

A step toward justice for survivors

For survivors and victims’ families, however, the ruling carries significance well beyond the courtroom.

Alice Zarka, one of the lawyers representing the civil parties, described the judgment as an important step in a judicial process that many survivors have awaited for more than three decades.

"This is a very important decision for our clients in Rwanda, who have waited 32 years for justice," she said. "It allows them to move one step further on the difficult path toward reconciliation. Every judgment contributes to rebuilding justice and honours those victims whose remains were finally recovered and given a dignified burial."

France’s growing role in genocide prosecutions

The confirmation of Rwamucyo’s sentence reinforces a broader trend in France, where judicial authorities have intensified efforts in recent years to prosecute individuals accused of participating in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

Although the appeals court has now confirmed both the conviction and the sentence, Rwamucyo retains the right to file a final appeal before France’s Court of Cassation within ten days. Such an appeal would address only questions of law and would not reopen the factual findings established during the trial.

The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi claimed the lives of more than one million people in approximately one hundred days, leaving one of the deepest scars in modern African history. More than thirty years later, courtrooms far beyond Rwanda continue to play a crucial role in the international pursuit of accountability.