The Assize Court in Paris has sentenced a Rwandan gynecologist, Sosthene Munyemana, to 24 years in prison for his involvement in the 1994 genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda, his home country.

This incident took place on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, in Paris, where a roughly 15-hour debate resulted in the 68-year-old former gynecologist being found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and involvement in a plot to prepare genocide.

While reading the verdict, the judge said Munyemana was part of a group that organized, planned, and directed the genocide of the Tutsis on a daily basis. He was accused of co-signing in April 1994 “a motion of support” for interim government leader Jean Kambanda, who supervised the genocide and participated in a local committee’s meetings that organized roundups of Tutsi civilians, which he denied.

On the other hand, his lawyers led by Florence Bourg slammed the court’s decision as unacceptable, arguing that there were many contradictions that left room for doubt, hence the reason why they are going to appeal the verdict.

Munyemana is the sixth suspect to face trial in France over the 1994 massacres, in which an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and a few Hutus died during the 100-day genocide.