French Court Upholds 27-Year Sentence for Rwandan Ex-Doctor in 1994 Genocide Case
France’s Court of Assizes of Appeal has upheld a 27-year prison sentence for Eugène Rwamucyo, a former Rwandan doctor convicted of complicity in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The Paris court confirmed the original October 2024 verdict late on Friday, July 18, 2026, following a six-week appeal trial. Rwamucyo, 67, was convicted of complicity in genocide, complicity in crimes against humanity, and participation in a criminal conspiracy. He was acquitted, as in the first trial, of the principal charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
The case focuses on Rwamucyo’s alleged actions in Butare (now Huye) during the 100-day genocide that claimed approximately 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu lives. Prosecutors accused the former occupational health physician and university lecturer of spreading anti-Tutsi propaganda from the late 1980s and participating in killings and evidence concealment. Witnesses described him taking part in the execution of wounded patients and assisting in the burial of bodies in mass graves.
Rwamucyo has denied the allegations throughout, with his lawyers arguing the case is politically motivated and linked to his opposition to the current Rwandan government. He assembled a new legal team of seven attorneys for the appeal in an attempt to overturn the conviction.
French prosecutors had sought a 30-year term, but the court maintained the original 27-year sentence. Rwamucyo has 10 days to file a final appeal to France’s Court of Cassation.
This is France’s eighth trial related to the Rwandan genocide, highlighting Paris’s use of universal jurisdiction to prosecute international crimes. Many suspects fled to Europe after the genocide, and French law allows such cases when they involve genocide or crimes against humanity.
The verdict arrives amid ongoing regional tensions, including Rwanda’s alleged involvement in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo conflicts. For survivors and civil parties — more than 500 were represented — the ruling provides a degree of accountability, though many emphasise that justice for the genocide’s main architects remains incomplete.
Rwamucyo, who grew up in a Hutu family and advanced through Rwanda’s medical and academic circles, maintains his innocence. Prosecutors and civil parties insist the evidence of his involvement is compelling.
With the sentence confirmed, Rwamucyo will serve his term in a French prison. The case underscores both the persistence of international justice efforts and the lasting trauma of one of the 20th century’s most documented atrocities.
