ICTR: Hategekimana: Trial Chamber Sentences the Accused to Life Imprisonment

2001-12-06, Arusha, Tanzania. Ildephonse Hategekimana, who was a Commander of the Ngoma Military Camp in Butare Préfecture, a lieutenant in the Forces Armées Rwandaises and a member of the Butare Préfectural Security Council during the 1994 genocide, was found guilty of genocide, murder as CAH and rape as CAH.

Although the Trial Chamber rejected many of the allegations made by the OTP, it found the accused guilty of:

• genocide for his role in the killing of Salomé Mujawayezu, Alice Mukarwesa and Jacqueline Mukaburasa, who were identified as Tutsi; the TC found that the accused was present before, during and after their murders and that his conduct demonstrated endorsement, if not encouragement; and that the murders were targeted, intentional and committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack on the Tutsi civilian population;
• genocide for ordering the murder of Tutsi refugees who had sought refuge at the Ngoma Parish;
• genocide for ordering the selection, abduction and the killings of the Tutsis at the Maison Généralice.
• murder of Jean-Bosco Rugomboka as a crime against humanity, but has not found him guilty of genocide because he was murdered for political reasons and not because of his Tutsi ethnicity;
• murder of Salomé Mujawayezu, Alice Mukarwesa, Jacqueline Mukaburasa and Solange Karenzi as a crime against humanity;
• rape of Nura Sezirahiga as a crime against humanity, but has not found him guilty of genocide because the evidence did not establish that Nura was a Tutsi or that she was raped with genocidal intent.

The defendant was represented by A.R. Dovi and Ata-Quam-Dovi-Avouyi. The OTP was represented by William Egbe, Peter Tafah, Adama Niane and Guilaine Disengi Mugeyo.

Summary