A Belgian court handed a life sentence to Seraphin Twarhirwa, a Rwandan former militia leader, for his role in multiple murders and rapes during the 1994 genocide. Twarhirwa, aged 66, was found guilty of actively participating in or overseeing brutal acts committed by Hutu Interahamwe militiamen in Kigali, perpetrating atrocities against Tutsis and moderate Hutus three decades ago.

Another defendant, Pierre Basabose, a former close associate of ex-president Juvenal Habyarimana, was also convicted of “genocide” and “war crimes” for funding the militia. However, due to the 76-year-old’s incurable senile dementia preventing his attendance at the hearings, he was spared jail time on health grounds.

Both individuals, arrested in Belgium in 2020 while living in exile, faced a trial marking the sixth in Belgium concerning the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Belgium, once a colonial ruler of modern-day Rwanda, hosts a significant Rwandan diaspora.

The 1994 genocide, precipitated by the downing of Habyarimana’s plane, resulted in an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus being killed during a 100-day killing spree.

This verdict in Belgium comes after a French court sentenced former doctor Sosthene Munyemana to 24 years in prison for his role in the genocide.

Twarhirwa and Basabose contested the accusations leveled against them throughout the two-month trial, with their defense attorneys announcing plans to appeal the verdict.

Michele Hirsch, who represents victims’ families, applauded the court’s decision, stating that the judges recognized the gravity of Twarhirwa’s mass rapes, defining them as integral to the genocide.

However, defense lawyer Vincent Lurquin expressed reservations about judicial cooperation between Belgium and Rwanda’s administration of President Paul Kagame.

Lurquin emphasized that Belgian investigators relied on witnesses from a procedure launched in Kigali by Rwandan authorities in the early 2000s, raising concerns about Belgium’s collaboration with Rwanda’s ruling regime.