Rwandan Tutsi Accused of Leading ’94 Genocide Is Sentenced to Death

A Kigali court Friday sentenced a prominent former Rwandan politician to death for being a ringleader of the 1994 genocide of minority Tutsis despite being a Tutsi himself.

“He has war crimes on his head. He was leading the Interahamwe, guiding them here and killing even his own neighbors,” presiding Judge Jariel Rutaremaram said at Froduald Karamira’s sentencing.

Karamira, wearing a convict’s uniform, was grim-faced during sentencing. Onlookers jeered him as he was led out, and his defense lawyer said he would appeal.

Karamira was a vice president of an extremist party under the ousted Hutu-led government and is the most senior suspect found guilty in Rwanda of taking part in the mass slaughter of more than 800,000 people.

He was accused of being a leader of the Interahamwe militia, which led attacks in the capital, Kigali, and being responsible for inciting genocide through radio broadcasts.