Jean Uwinkindi sentenced to life in prison for genocide

The High Court in Kigali has sentenced Jean Uwinkindi to life in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity.

The 64-year-old was a pastor at a Pentecostal church in the former Rural Kigali Prefecture (now Bugesera District) during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

“The court rules that Uwinkindi is guilty of murder as crime of genocide and extermination as crime against humanity he must therefore be punished with life imprisonment,” Judge Timothee Kanyegeri said in his ruling.

The court said he committed the crimes between April and May in 1994.

Uwinkindi said he intended to appeal the verdict.

“I want it recorded that I appeal and that five major reasons were not considered (during the trial),” Uwinkindi told the court.

According to the prosecution, between 100 and 150 Tutsi had sought refuge at Kayenzi Pentecostal church where Uwinkindi was a pastor.

“The court finds that there were killings of the Tutsi at Rwankeri and Kanzenze hills and the attacks were led by Uwinkindi,” the judge said.

The Rwanda Bar Association availed him with two lawyers; Joseph Ngabonziza and Isacar Hishamunda, but he rejected them, insisting that he needed his initial lawyers Gatera Gashabana and Jean Baptiste Niyibizi – who fell out with the government on the payment for their defence in the trial.

“We are aware that he didn’t want us for defence and this [verdict] is the effect of his inefficient defence as it should have been. He neither wanted to talk to the defence nor approach them. That’s a major bottleneck for a fair trial,” said Ngabonziza.

“The good thing is that he has just appealed so if he wants us back to his defence, we will continue with him,”
Uwinkindi was arrested on June 30, 2010, in Kampala, Uganda. On July 2, 2010, he was transferred to the UN Detention Facility in Arusha. Uwinkindi pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

In November 2010, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda requested his referral to Rwanda. On June 29, 2011, ICTR Referral Chamber ruled in favour of extradition, marking the first time in the Tribunal’s history to do so.

The New Times

UM– USEKE.RW