This case summary is part of a collection of summaries describing the cases before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). See the Online Resource Hub pages on the ICTR and International Criminal Law, and table of ICTR case summaries for additional information.
Trial Judgment: 13 April 2006
Paul Bisengimana, the former Bourgmenstre of Gikoro Commune, was indicted for allegedly arming, transporting, and instructing members of the Interahamwe militia to commit massacres against Tutsi civilians; for informing, approving, and participating in plans for attacks on Musha Church and Gikoro Commune; for publicly encouraging civilians to commit attacks on Tutsis; and for personally participating in the shooting of Tutsis in Gikoro Commune. The prosecution charged Bisengimana with direct and superior responsibility for genocide; complicity in genocide; conspiracy to commit genocide; incitement to commit genocide; crimes against humanity for acts of murder, extermination, torture, rape, and other inhumane acts; and war crimes for violence to life, outrages upon dignity, and pillage.
In 2006, Bisengimana pled guilty to direct responsibility for murder and extermination as crimes against humanity, and an ICTR Trial Chamber affirmed the guilty plea, and granted the prosecutions motion to drop the remaining charges to which Bisengimana pled not guilty. The Trial Chamber sentenced Bisengimana to 15 years’ imprisonment.