A 75-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Venant Rutunga, who was extradited from the Netherlands in 2021, was found guilty of being an accomplice to the mass killings.
The High Court Chamber of International Crimes convicted Rutunga for his involvement in directing massacres at the ISAR agricultural research institute, where he served as regional director.
Witnesses testified that Rutunga brought police officers to the site to murder Tutsi employees and those seeking refuge there.
While Rutunga initially faced three charges, including genocide, complicity in genocide, and complicity in extermination, the court found insufficient evidence to prove his direct participation in the murders or provision of weapons.
Prosecutors had sought a life sentence.
Rutunga, who pleaded not guilty, argued that he had called the officers to provide security for the facility, a decision approved by ISAR’s board of directors.
His lawyer, Sophonie Sebaziga, said she would discuss possible appeal options with her client.
Rutunga’s conviction comes over two decades after the genocide, which claimed the lives of approximately 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis.
The sentencing highlights Rwanda’s ongoing efforts to bring perpetrators of the genocide to justice.