The French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) has sought her indictment for "conspiracy to commit genocide and crimes against humanity," further expanding the scope of the investigation.
The request will be reviewed behind closed doors by the investigating chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 4:00 PM, with a deliberation to follow.
Agathe Habyarimana, now 82, has been under investigation in France since 2008, following a complaint by the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR). Despite multiple legal proceedings, she has so far evaded prosecution.
She is accused of being a key figure in the 'akazu', the inner circle of Hutu power which orchestrated the Genocide against the Tutsi which claimed over a million lives, but has denied all accusations.
Agathe was evacuated to France three days after President Habyarimana's plane was shot down on April 6, 1994.
She was evacuated to France with the help of then-French President François Mitterrand who was close to her late husband.
Despite residing in France since 1998, she has been denied asylum due to suspicions about her involvement in the genocide. However, France has also refused to extradite her to Rwanda.
In 2016, she was designated as an "assisted witness," an intermediate legal status, and in February 2022, the investigating judge signalled the potential closure of the case, citing excessive delays.
New developments in the case
The PNAT has since pushed for further inquiries, issuing a supplementary indictment in August 2022.
Former National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor Jean-François Ricard, speaking ahead of the 30th anniversary of the genocide, emphasised that the case remains one of the most complex on their docket. The charges include allegations that Agathe Habyarimana gave orders and incited violence during the genocide.
The prosecution argues that the investigating judge failed to take sufficient action and, in September 2024, formally requested her indictment. With no response from the judge, the matter has now been escalated to the Court of Appeal to advance the case.
The CPCR alleges that Agathe Habyarimana financed Radio Mille Collines, the infamous broadcaster of anti-Tutsi hate messages, and participated in the creation of a list of Tutsi figures targeted for execution.
She is also accused of endorsing terror campaigns by the presidential guard following her husband's death and of ordering the massacre of seven employees at an orphanage she had founded.
Investigators questioned her again under assisted witness status on December 5, 2024.
If the Court of Appeal grants the PNAT's request, Agathe Habyarimana could finally face charges for her alleged role in one of the 20th century's worst atrocities. If convicted, she could spend the rest of her life in prison.
IGIHE
