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| |  | | Desire Munyaneza | | | context : | Rwanda  | | judgement place : | Canada | | status : | Sentenced | | particulars : | Trial started in Montreal, Canada, on 26 March 2007; found guilty by the Quebec Superior Court on 22 May 2009 of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes; sentencing hearing in September 2009 | | position : | Shopkeeper in Butare |
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| | | | Munyaneza was living in Toronto when he was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on 19 October 2005.
The RCMP said the arrest followed a five-year investigation by the war crimes unit that included interviews with many witnesses in Rwanda, Europe and Canada.
Désiré Munyaneza faced seven charges under the Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act, including two counts of genocide, two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes. The indictment accused him of committing murder, psychological terror, physical attacks and sexual violence with intent to wiping out the Tutsi.
The Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act was adopted in 2000 to implement Canada's obligations with respect to the ICC and to provide for the prosecution of international crimes before Canadian courts. The arrest of Mr. Munyaneza represented the first time the Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Act had been used to criminally charge an individual. It was also the first time since the Supreme Court's decision in the Finta case (see Trial Watch profile) of 1994 that Canadian authorities have used criminal rather than immigration remedies in the face of alleged international crimes.
A delegation of prosecutors, defence attorneys and a judge from Montreal arrived in Rwanda on 12 January 2007 for five weeks of hearings to gather testimony from 14 witnesses unable to travel to Canada. This evidence was introduced at the trial in Montreal, which began on 26 March 2007. More than 20 further witnesses testified.
According to press reports, Munyaneza, who had been in custody for two years, was severely beaten in prison in spring 2007. The prison warden severely curtailed Munyaneza's contact with others, including his wife.
After a summer break, the trial resumed on 4 September 2007.
On 22 May 2009, the Quebec Superior Court declared Munyaneza guilty on all 7 charges against him, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The sentencing hearing was to be held on 15 and 16 September 2009.
On 29 October 2009, he was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. | |     click for more... | | Trial Watch would like to remind its users that any person charged by national or international authorities is presumed innocent until proven guilty. | |  |  | | last time seen : | | | Montréal, Canada | | | period of charges : | | | 01.04.1994 - 31.07.1994 | | | judgement period : | | | 03.2007 - 22.05.2009 | | | charges : | | | Crimes against humanity
Genocide
War crimes | | | profile last modified : | | | 13.11.2009 |
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