At the heart of this historic trial, Eugène Rwamucyo, a 63-year-old Rwandan doctor, faces charges of genocide, complicity, involvement in a conspiracy to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity.
André Martin Karongozi, a lawyer for the civil parties, made an impassioned plea to the jury: "Do not let Mr. Rwamucyo perpetuate the genocide committed against the Tutsi through his denial; do not let Mr. Rwamucyo falsify history."
He added emphatically: "When you retire to deliberate, the hundred thousand souls of the victims killed in Butare will join you on the steps of this palace: a hundred thousand victims far exceed the capacity of the Stade de France, which is 80,000 people."
For the families of the victims, the stakes go beyond just Rwamucyo's trial. According to Karongozi, it is about "preventing other enemies of freedom" and affirming that "never again is not an illusion."
In the courtroom, the weight of words resonated. Richard Gisagara, also a lawyer for the civil parties and a fervent defender of the victims' memory, spoke of the doctor's association with what he described as a "death enterprise."
He emphasized the methodical and systematic violence of this destruction project, which, in his view, "aimed to erase a part of the Rwandan population, even the memory of their victims."
For Gisagara, this trial is an opportunity for France to show its refusal to become "a safe haven for genocide perpetrators."
To support his remarks, Gisagara reminded the jury of European tragedies, drawing a parallel with the Holocaust: "What happened in Rwanda is akin to what took place a little over 80 years ago when France and Europe witnessed the horror of the Holocaust and Nazi crimes."
In this appeal, the lawyer wants the same dignity and recognition be accorded to Rwandan victims: "May the view you take of these facts, and of the victims, be the same as you would take for a victim of the Holocaust or Nazi crimes."
For the civil parties, this legal battle is also a fight for truth. The context of this trial dates back to 2009, when Rwamucyo was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by a Gacaca court in Rwanda.
The charges against him are severe: he is alleged to have formed extermination groups, incited the population to perpetrate Genocide, provided weapons, and participated in the abduction of Tutsi women and girls. In France, his trial began in October 2024 after several years of legal proceedings and controversy.
Emmanuel Daoud, representing the organizations LDH and FIDH, emphasizes the importance of holding this trial in France, asserting that Dr. Rwamucyo "publicly supported the regime responsible for the genocide."
Despite this, Philippe Meilhac, the defense lawyer, continues to deny his client's involvement, arguing that these accusations are unfounded.
As deliberations continue, attention turns to the verdict. For the families, survivors, and the Rwandan community in France, Dr. Rwamucyo's trial is more than a simple judgment; it is an act of remembrance and a message of hope that justice can prevail, even thirty years after the events.
Karirima. A. Ngarambe
