Former Rwandan official given life sentence over genocide crimes

Saturday April 16, 2016

Kigali memorial genocide in Rwanda. Photo/FILE

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A Rwanda court handed a life sentence on Friday to a former senior politician for hate speech aimed at stirring up killings of minority Tutsis during the central African country's genocide more than two decades ago.

An estimated 800,000 Tustis and moderate Hutus were killed by extremist forces in the then Hutu-dominated regime over a period of 100 days in 1994.

The high court convicted Léon Mugesera, 64, who was then a regional vice chairman in the ruling party, of genocide and crimes against humanity.

During the trial, Mugesera was accused of having referred to the Tutsis as "cockroaches" who should be sent back to Ethiopia.

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