France’s Court of Cassation has rejected the appeal of Philippe Hategekimana, also known as Biguma, confirming his conviction for genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and upholding his life sentence.
The decision was confirmed by Me Gisagara Richard, a lawyer representing the association of Rwandans living in France, who said the court dismissed the appeal in its entirety.
In a post on X, he said: “The Court of Cassation has rejected the appeal of Philippe Hategekimana Manier, known as Biguma. He is now definitively sentenced to life imprisonment, becoming the fourth person convicted in France for the crime of genocide against the Tutsi.”
Hategekimana, a former gendarme in Rwanda’s former National Gendarmerie, was convicted over his role in killings carried out in Ntyazo Commune in the former Butare prefecture (now Nyanza District) during the genocide.
Prosecutors said he used his authority to incite and coordinate killings, working alongside Interahamwe militia and other security forces in planning and executing attacks against Tutsi civilians.
He was initially found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity by a Paris court and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Although he appealed the ruling, the appellate court upheld the verdict, finding the evidence against him consistent and credible.
Genocide survivors and justice organisations welcomed the decision, describing it as a significant step in accountability for genocide crimes.
The Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR) said the ruling reflects France’s continued efforts to prosecute genocide suspects found on its territory and strengthen accountability.
Hategekimana fled to France after the genocide, where he was later granted citizenship under the name Philippe Manier. He was arrested in Cameroon in 2018 after years on the run and extradited to France to face trial.
The case is among several genocide trials held in France in recent years, as part of ongoing efforts to pursue justice and combat impunity for crimes committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
