The hearing of the appeal of former Senator Anastase Nzirasanaho is set to resume today in the special chamber of the High Court. The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court had earlier sentenced Nzirasanaho to life in jail with special provisions for complicity in the Genocide. In March, the intermediate court had cleared Nzirasanaho of charges of killing Dr Theonest Garafanga but found him guilty of illegal possession of a gun that was later used by Interahamwe in killing Tutsis. It’s on the basis of that crime that the court sentenced him to life with special provisions. Life imprisonment with special provisions means that the convict cannot benefit from any kind of mercy, conditional release or rehabilitation, unless they have served at least 20 years in prison. Nzirasanaho has pleaded not guilty all throughout the trials. His trial began from the Gacaca court and was later transferred to the classical courts. On January 5, 2008, the Gacaca jurisdiction of Amahoro cellule in Muhima, Kigali, found Nzirasanaho guilty of involvement in the Genocide and classified him as a category one suspect. By then Gacaca did not have the jurisdiction to try category one suspects hence transferring the then senator’s case to the intermediate court.
