Dutch court sentences 66-year-old to life imprisonment for role in Rwanda genocide

The Hague District Court found him responsible for preventing Tutsis from escaping a football stadium in Mbazi, southern Rwanda, and throwing a grenade into a crowd, resulting in the massacre of approximately 3,000 Tutsis. He was also implicated in earlier attacks, including the looting and burning of houses. The court stated that his actions were committed with "genocidal intent" and that a lifelong sentence was necessary to address the immense suffering inflicted on victims and their families.

Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, emphasizing his personal involvement in the killings. The 1994 Rwandan genocide led to an estimated 800,000 deaths, primarily among the Tutsi minority. Eugene N. denied the charges, claiming he was a victim who lost relatives in the events, and his lawyers sought an acquittal, stating he tried to prevent the genocide.

The defense indicated they would likely appeal. At the time of the massacres, N. held a position of responsibility in Mbazi, overseeing about 1,000 people. The court noted his influence as a local authority and his commission of "multiple severe crimes."

He was acquitted of incitement to genocide. N. fled to the Netherlands in 1998, and despite an international arrest warrant issued by Rwandan authorities in 2014, he could not be extradited due to his Dutch nationality. Dutch prosecutors init