The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has upheld life sentences against three men convicted for masterminding the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Those whose life sentence was maintained include Mathieu Ngirumpatse and Édouard Karemera, the former president and vice president, respectively, of MRND, the political party that orchestrated the Genocide.

The other convict handed life sentence by the Arusha-based court is Callixte Nzabonimana, the minister for youth in the genocidal government, who was also chairperson of MRND in then Gitarama Prefecture (current Muhanga District).

The fourth convict, Capt. Ildephonse Nizeyimana, who is paying for the killing of the country’s last queen, saw his sentence reduced from life term to 35 years.

The appeals

The three MRND stalwarts were held liable for crimes committed by members of their party, notably the Interahamwe militia, the party’s youth wing.

They had been handed life sentences for genocide, crimes against humanity and for not having prevented or denounced crimes committed by the Interahamwe, but had appealed the verdicts.

"The Appeals Chamber, seated in open session, affirms the sentence of life imprisonment imposed by the trial chamber,” appeals judge Theodor Meron said.

Reacting to the rulings, Justice minister Johnston Busingye said: "Genocide is an international crime and whoever takes part in it should be held to account. Justice has been served and that is the way of justice.”

Ibuka, the umbrella body of Genocide survivors’ associations, also welcomed the ruling although they said they would have wished all the suspects got the maximum sentence.

"Indeed, they deserved the life sentence. The sentence matches the gravity of crimes for which they have been found guilty. Although we would have wished that they all get life,” said Naftar Ahishakiye, the executive secretary of Ibuka.

The convicts will be held at the ICTR until they can be transferred to any country willing to take them into custody.

Ngirumpatse and Karemera were arrested in Mali and Togo, respectively, in 1998, and transferred to Arusha.

Nzabonimana was arrested in February 2008 in Tanzania, while Nizeyimana was arrested in Uganda in October 2009.

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Callixte Nzabonimana

On May 31, 2012, Trial Chamber III of the Tribunal found that Nzabonimana instigated genocide and extermination at Cyayi centre on April 14, 1994, resulting in the killings of Tutsi at Nyabikenke commune office on April 15.

Nzabonimana was also convicted of conspiracy to commit genocide based on two agreements to commit genocide in Gitarama préfecture.

Nzabonimana was sentenced to a single term of life in prison.

The Appeals Chamber affirmed Nzabonimana’s convictions for instigating genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity and also affirmed his convictions for direct and public incitement to commit genocide, as well as his conviction for conspiracy to commit genocide.

 Ildéphonse Nizeyimana

On June 19,2012, Trial Chamber III found Nizeyimana guilty of committing, through his participation in a joint criminal enterprise, the killing of the Ruhutinyanya family, the attack on the Cyahinda Parish, the killing of Queen Rosalie Gicanda and others taken from her home, among others.

The Trial Chamber entered convictions for genocide, extermination and murder as crimes against humanity, and murder as a serious violation of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II. Nizeyimana was sentenced to life in prison.

The Appeals Chamber affirmed Nizeyimana’s convictions for genocide, murder as a crime against humanity, and murder as a serious violation of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II, as well as for genocide in relation to the serious bodily and mental harm caused to Witness ZAV.

Nizeyimana’s sentence for genocide, extermination and murder as crimes against humanity, and murder in relation to the attack on Cyahinda Parish was, however, reduced to 35 years in prison.

Édouard Karemera & Matthieu Ngirumpatse

The two were tried jointly. On December 21, 2011, Trial Chamber III convicted them of direct and public incitement to commit genocide, genocide, extermination and rape as crimes against humanity, and murder as a serious violation of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol II. The Trial Chamber sentenced Karemera and Ngirumpatse to life in prison.

The Appeals Chamber affirmed Karemera’s and Ngirumpatse’s convictions based on their role in the killings in Kigali by April 12,1994, the killings following the Murambi Technical School meeting on April 18, 1994, the killings following President Theodore Sindikubwabo’s speech in Butare Prefecture on April 19.

They were also held responsible for the killings in Bisesero, among others.

Karemera served as national secretary and first vice-president of the MRND party. On May 25, 1994, he was appointed as minister for interior and communal development for the interim government.

Ngirumpatse was National Party chairperson of MRND between 1993 and 1994.