Rwandans in France urge continued vigilance after court convicts genocide denier

The Rwandan Community in France (CRF) welcomed the conviction of Charles Onana and his publisher, Damien Serieyx, by a French court for denying the genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Why Charles Onana’s guilty verdict sends a clear message to Genocide deniers In a statement released on December 10, CRF described the ruling as the culmination of a decade-long battle to combat genocide denial in France, and emphasized the importance of the court’s verdict. “This decision marks the conclusion of a fight led by the CRF for more than 10 years to ensure that the denial of the genocide against the Tutsi is repressed in France,” the statement reads. ALSO READ: French court finds Charles Onana guilty of Genocide denial The judgment, pronounced by the Paris Criminal Court on December 9 coincided with the anniversary of the signing of the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. According to the Rwandan Community in France, the verdict is a milestone in the fight against genocide denial. “This is the very first time that French justice has handed down a sentence to repress the denial of the genocide committed against the Tutsi. The Rwandan Community in France welcomes this decision, which is the culmination of efforts that began in 2013 to push for the repression of genocide denial in French law.” The statement recalls CRF’s initial victory, in 2015, when the French Constitutional Council, responding to the Rwandan Community in France’s appeal, compelled the French government to amend the law to address genocide denial. In 2017, legal provisions were finally incorporated into French law, but it took years for them to be enforced. “This verdict is a landmark decision that will go down in the records of French justice and the history of the fight against the denial of the genocide against the Tutsi, which is often considered the final stage of genocide itself,” the statement added. The Rwandan Community in France also expressed gratitude to associations and individuals who supported its efforts over the years, urging continued vigilance. “We must remain committed to ensuring justice and ensuring that no place becomes a refuge for genocide perpetrators or deniers.”

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Rwandans in France urge continued vigilance after court convicts genocide denier