Rwandan Jailed in US For Lying About Genocide
A Rwandese woman has been sentenced to a 10-year jail term in the US after she lied to federal authorities about her role in Rwanda’s genocide to gain refuge in the US.
Beatrice Munyenyezi, was sentenced on Monday in Concord, New Hampshire state, following her conviction in February on charges of lying to federal authorities to grant her status of US citizenship.
Ms Munyenyezi, 43, allegedly commanded a roadblock where victims were picked to be murdered, during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the prosecution said. She becomes the first person to be convicted in the US over the Rwandan genocide.
About 800,000 people were killed en masse during the 100 day-long 1994 massacre targeting the minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Ms Munyenyezi had entered in the US in 1998 from Kenya where she had lived and bore twins, since fleeing her native Rwanda immediately after the genocide had ended. She settled in the north-eastern state of New Hampshire through aid of relief agencies where she would attend university and later work in a city government office.
During the hearing, Judge Mc Auliffe said Munyenyezi had "stolen the highly prized status of US citizenship". She will serve the 10-years in jail, the maximum term possible, in the US and later be deported to Rwanda where possible genocide charges could await her.
Defence lawyers plan to appeal Munyenyezi's conviction.
Her husband, Arsene Shalom Ntahobali, and his mother Pauline Nyiramasuhuko are both serving life sentences in Rwanda, where they were convicted of genocide charges in 2011 by the UN tribunal on Rwanda.
Ms Nyiramasuhuko was sentenced on charges of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide and rape role played when she was women’s minister time when the genocide took place. Her son Ntahobali charged on the same counts, then in mid 20s led the militia wing that carried out the atrocities in her home district of Butare in southern Rwanda.
The International Criminal Tribunal (ICTR) for Rwanda located in Arusha, Tanzania, began proceedings in 1996 and as by 2012, the Tribunal has completed 35 trials and convicted 29 persons guilty of war crimes, acts of genocide, rape, and the creation of hate media.
Eight trials are currently in progress, while another 10 criminals remain at large, mostly presumed dead.