The court of appeal in Paris has upheld a 14-year prison sentence handed to Claude Muhayimana for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

In its verdict delivered on Friday, February 27, the court found Muhayimana guilty of complicity in genocide and sentenced him to 14 years of criminal imprisonment, affirming the lower court’s decision.

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Muhayimana was initially convicted in 2021 by the Cour d’Assises de Paris for complicity in genocide and complicity in crimes against humanity committed in Bisesero between April and June 1994. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Muhayimana appealed the verdict, seeking acquittal. The prosecution and civil parties also filed appeals. He was released a year after his conviction and placed under judicial supervision pending the appeal trial.

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During the appeal hearings, prosecutors requested a 15-year prison sentence.

Born in 1961 in Gitesi, then part of the former Kibuye Prefecture (now Karongi District), Muhayimana worked as a driver during the genocide. He moved to France in 2001, obtained French citizenship in 2010, and later worked as a municipal employee in Rouen.

He was arrested on April 9, 2014, by French police following a complaint filed by the Committee for the Protection of Civil Rights. He was released on April 10, 2015, and placed under house arrest pending investigation.

During the appeal proceedings, several witnesses linked Muhayimana to acts committed during the genocide. Among them was his ex-wife, who testified that he transported Interahamwe militia members in 1994.