Ew-Rwandan ministers jailed for genocide
September 30, 2011 by UPI - United Press International, Inc.
The trial chamber at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, in Tanzania, sentenced Justin Mugenzi and Prosper Mugiraneza each to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit genocide and direct and public incitement to commit genocide.
The sentencing of the two former ministers came 12 years after their arrest. A judge in the tribunal said earlier their sentences should be reduced by five years because of the length of the trial, which started in 2003.
Mugenzi served as the Rwandan Commerce minister until his arrest. Mugiraneza was the minister of Civil Service when he was captured in Cameroon in 1999.
Two other officials, Casimir Bizimungu and Jerome-Clement Bicamumpaka, were acquitted and ordered released because of lack of evidence, the tribunal stated.
All of the Rwanda officials denied the charges. They were accused of, in official meetings and public speeches, advocating the slaughter of the minority Tutsi ethnic community.
An estimated 800,000 people were killed, most of whom were Tutsi, during 100 days in 1994 in Rwanda.
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