A court in The Hague has handed down a life sentence to a 66-year-old Dutch-Rwandan man, identified as Eugene N, for his participation in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The conviction includes charges of war crimes and the crime of genocide.
Prosecutors accused Eugene N of having a significant role in the massacre, including throwing a hand grenade into a stadium where Tutsis were seeking refuge. The court found that he acted with "genocidal intent" during the atrocities.
Rwanda had requested his extradition in 2014, but the Netherlands authorities initiated their own investigation into N, who had become a Dutch citizen. This investigation, which began in 2020, involved interviewing over 30 witnesses, leading to N's arrest in 2024.
During the 100 days of the genocide, which began in April 1994, an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu extremists. The court in The Hague detailed that N held an authoritative position in his community of Mbazi in southern Rwanda, overseeing approximately 1,000 people.
"The suspect was a man who was held in high regard and must have been aware of his role and the influence he had as a local administrator," the court stated, adding that he "committed multiple severe crimes". Witnesses testified that N instructed Hutus not to allow Tutsis to escape a football stadium. Those trapped inside were subsequently attacked with stones, gunfire, and hand grenades, with survivors reportedly killed by clubs and machetes. Prior to this event, N was also observed as people looted and set fire to houses.
The court concluded that "only a lifelong prison sentence does justice to the immense suffering that has been inflicted on the victims and the bereaved families."
Eugene N denied all charges, with his defense lawyers stating he considered himself a victim who had lost family during the events and that the trial had reopened his wounds. While he was acquitted of incitement to genocide, his defense team indicated they would "almost certainly appeal the charges."