Rwanda: Genocide - Suspect Who Hid Under Bed for Two Decades Sentenced

Busasamana Primary Court in Nyanza District has sentenced Emmanuel Ntarindwa to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of crimes related to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Ntarindwa, 51, became widely known in 2024 following his arrest after authorities discovered that he had been hiding in an underground pit inside a neighbour's house in Nyanza District since 2001.

ALSO READ: RIB arrests genocide suspect who hid in house for 23 years to evade justice

During the trial, the prosecutors told the court that Ntarindwa actively participated in genocide crimes, including manning roadblocks and taking part in attacks during which Tutsi were killed. Prosecutors said he personally committed killings in the former Kigoma and Nyabisindu communes, now part of Nyanza District.

Citing the gravity of the crimes, the prosecution requested a life sentence.

However, before the court, Ntarindwa admitted all the charges without contest. He expressed remorse, apologised to Rwandans, and asked the court for leniency.

In its ruling, the court found him guilty as charged but noted mitigating factors, including his full confession, expression of remorse, and request for forgiveness.

ALSO READ: May 7, 1994: Killers rampage through homes in Nyanza

Based on such considerations, the court reduced the sentence to 15 years' imprisonment.

Ntarindwa was arrested in May 2024, following an investigation by Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), which revealed that he had been hiding at the home of his former neighbour, Eugenie Mukamana, 53.

According to RIB, Ntarindwa fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo after the 1994 Genocide, where he spent seven years before secretly returning to Rwanda in 2001. He then sought refuge in Mukamana's house, where he dug a pit inside one of the rooms and remained concealed for more than two decades without leaving the premises.

RIB said that during interrogation, Ntarindwa confessed to his role in the genocide, including killing several people. At the time of his arrest, both suspects were detained at the Busasamana RIB station pending prosecution.

Read the original article on New Times.