According to Agence France-Presse, the French judiciary has dropped its investigation into Callixte Mbarushimana, a former UN employee accused of participating in the 1994 Rwandan Tutsi genocide, due to insufficient evidence.
Mbarushimana, who has held political refugee status in France for 20 years, was initially indicted in 2010 for crimes against humanity and complicity.
An order issued on October 1 and revealed over the weekend by a Paris Judicial Court judge from the “crimes against humanity” division concluded there was no case to answer, citing a lack of consistent and precise testimony. The decision aligns with the prosecutor’s findings after reviewing all evidence. While various associations and victims still accuse Mbarushimana of involvement in the genocide—including allegations of drawing up lists of Tutsis to be killed and supplying equipment to Rwandan Armed Forces and extremist militias—these accusations were not substantiated in court.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame had also accused Mbarushimana of betraying a family member during the genocide, a claim made during the 30th-anniversary ceremonies in April. Mbarushimana was previously prosecuted by the International Criminal Court in 2010 for crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo but was not tried due to insufficient evidence.
The Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda has announced plans to appeal the dismissal, criticizing the investigation as incomplete, particularly noting unverified witness testimonies and overlooked details from a UN internal report. Mbarushimana’s lawyer, Laurence Garapin, reiterated that her client has always maintained his innocence.