The Cour d’Assises de Paris delivered its verdict today in the appeal trial of Claude Muhayimana, affirming the 14‑year prison sentence initially imposed in 2021 for complicity in genocide and complicity in crimes against humanity committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda.
Muhayimana, a 65‑year‑old Franco‑Rwandan who formerly worked as a driver, had been convicted by the same court in December 2021 for transporting Interahamwe militiamen and gendarmes to sites of mass killings in western Rwanda, including in the Bisesero and Kibuye regions during the 1994 genocide. He appealed the verdict and conviction.
Background of the Appeal Trial
The appeal trial opened on 3 February 2026 before the Paris Court of Assize and was scheduled to run through 27 February 2026. The prosecution and defense both lodged appeals against the 2021 judgment: the defense seeking acquittal, and the prosecution seeking a heavier sentence than the original 14 years.
Throughout nearly four weeks of hearings, a range of evidence and testimony was presented. Witnesses and expert testimony included accounts of Muhayimana’s alleged role in conveying armed militiamen, the Interahamwe, to locations where they were involved in the killing of Tutsi civilians. Some testimonies were relayed via remote appearances from Rwanda, while others testified in person in Paris.
The defense maintained that Muhayimana acted under duress and contested key aspects of the prosecution’s evidence, arguing that he was not present at certain sites of killing and that some witness accounts were inconsistent. Expert witnesses called by civil parties testified that Muhayimana was of sound mental capacity, undermining the defense’s claim that he was constrained or coerced beyond his will.
During closing arguments on 26 February 2026, French prosecutors requested an increased sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, contending that the gravity of the crimes and Muhayimana’s conduct warranted a harsher penalty. The defense reiterated its call for acquittal.
Verdict and Sentencing
In its ruling today, the Cour d’Assises de Paris confirmed the conviction and the 14‑year sentence previously imposed in 2021. The appellate decision maintains the assessment that Muhayimana was complicit in transporting and assisting those who carried out genocidal killings during the 1994 genocide. The confirmation means the appellate court found no sufficient basis to overturn the conviction or increase the sentence.
Under French criminal procedure for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the appeal judgment is subject to a further possible appeal to the Cour de Cassation, France’s highest court in the judicial order, on points of law.
Context
The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda saw the organized killing of hundreds of thousands of civilians, primarily Tutsis, over a period of approximately 100 days. French courts have jurisdiction over such crimes committed abroad under the principle of universal jurisdiction, allowing prosecution of genocide and crimes against humanity regardless of where they occurred.
Muhayimana is among a series of cases in France involving individuals accused of roles in the 1994 genocide. Cases tried under universal jurisdiction have included former Rwandan officials, militia leaders, and others alleged to have contributed to the genocidal campaign.
