The Court of Appeal in Paris has ruled that judicial investigations into Agathe Kanziga, the widow of former Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana, will continue over her alleged role in the planning and execution of the Genocide against the Tutsi.
The decision was issued on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, overturning an earlier ruling that had found insufficient evidence to proceed with prosecution against Kanziga.
Judges said the previous panel had failed to properly assess key witness testimonies and historical evidence presented in the case, according to reports from French media.
The ruling follows an appeal by civil parties challenging the earlier decision to drop proceedings, which had concluded there was no basis to charge Kanziga.
Kanziga has been under investigation in France since 2007 following complaints filed by the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR), which accuses her of involvement in genocide planning and related activities.
She is alleged to have been part of the so-called “Akazu” inner circle of the former regime, accused of contributing to lists of targeted victims and supporting hate propaganda broadcast through RTLM radio during the genocide.
Her defence has consistently denied the allegations, arguing that she was also affected by the events of 1994, noting that her husband was killed and that she fled Rwanda at the onset of the violence.
The case remains one of the longest-running genocide-related investigations in France, with proceedings continuing without a set date for trial.
