Genocide convict Seyoboka appeals against life sentence at Military High Court

Lieutenant Jean-Claude Seyoboka, an ex-FAR soldier who was convicted of Genocide crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment about four years ago has returned to court for the hearing of the appeal he filed. Seyoboka was convicted on counts of genocide and complicity in genocide, crimes which he committed in Nyarugenge district – particularly in Kiyovu sector where he killed Tutsis, participated in roadblocks meant to identify them in order to kill them, among other things. He was the President of the Interahamwe militia in the sector, according to military prosecution. He was deported from Canada in 2016. In his appeal, he said he was not in Kiyovu between April 7 and May 25, which are some of the dates where it is claimed that he committed the crimes. In addition, he said he is not “the Lieutenant Claude” that prosecution claims perpetrated the genocide crimes. In an appeal hearing that was heard on Monday, May 31, the Military High Court heard from witnesses from both sides – defence and prosecution – talking about what they knew about Seyoboka in regard to the Genocide against the Tutsi. The hearing took place at the Military High Court on Monday, May 31(Dan Nsengiyumva) Jonathan Rekeraho, one of the witnesses who was a gatekeeper at an expatriate’s home in Kiyovu suburb during the Genocide told court that he saw Seyoboka on more than three occasions at a roadblock Peage (Kiyovu), along with the Interahamwe militia in mid-April and early May 1994. Rekeraho added that he saw Seyoboka again with the Interahamwe attacking a home belonging to a Belgian national, searched it and found some Tutsis that were hiding there and killed them. He also recalled incident around May 1994, where Seyoboka and the Interahamwe intercepted a car that was carrying two women; “They asked them for their identification documents, and they said they didn’t have them. Seyoboka ordered them out of the car, and told the driver to proceed. The two ladies were then taken away, and I later heard that they were killed,” he said. Another witness presented by prosecution is Hussein Rongorongo, a Genocide convict who completed his 15-year sentence and is now back in the community. Rongorongo told court that Seyoboka was the president of the Interahamwe in Kiyovu, and that he deputized him. “We perpetrated crimes of killing the Tutsi together with him. He was my president, and I was his deputy in the Interahamwe militia,” he said. He added that Seyoboka trained the Interahamwe to shoot, and played a role in planning activities of attacking the Tutsi. “On the evening of April 21, a meeting was held in the home of Angelina Mukandutiye (a district school inspector who was residing in Kiyovu). This meeting was preparing for an attack on CELA (a languages’ school in Kigali near St Famille church). People like Tharcisse Renzaho (former Kigali city mayor), Seyoboka and I were part of it,” he said. “On April 22, we attacked CELA and between 60 and 70 people were killed during the attack,” he added. Ali Gasasira, a genocide survivor also testified against Seyoboka, saying he, along with Mukandutiye were among key top officials who came to St. Famille Church to single out the Tutsi to be killed. Many testimonies against Seyoboka were presented, including one from Jean Bizimana the former Mayor of Nyarugenge (also serving a jail term for Genocide) who said that Seyoboka was present during key attacks that were done against the Tutsi in Kiyovu. Court asked the witnesses if there was a different “Lieutenant Claude” that did genocide crimes in Kiyovu, and they said there was none other than Jean Claude Seyoboka. Angelina Mukandutiye, the lady that Seyoboka had invited as his witness told court that it is not true that Seyoboka used to train the Interhamwe militia in her home. Angelina Mukandutiye was in the Military High Court on Monday, May 31(Dan Nsengiyumva) In addition, she denied having hosted any meeting for planning the genocide at her home. However, when asked about whether she ever saw Seyoboka in her compound during the genocide, she said she did, something that Seyoboka went on to deny. Prosecution asked that court maintains the life sentence against him, while the defendant asked that the charges against him should be dropped because he never committed the crimes. Court is expected to give its verdict on June 28.

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Genocide convict Seyoboka appeals against life sentence at Military High Court