A court in the Netherlands has sentenced Rwandan-born Dutch citizen called Eugene Ntambara to life imprisonment after convicting him of genocide and war crimes committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The Hague District Court handed down the sentence on Friday, August 28, over Ntambara’s role in attacks against Tutsi in the former Mbazi Commune, in the former Butare Prefecture (today’s Huye District. ALSO READ: Government welcomes life sentence against Genocide suspect in Sweden Dutch prosecutors had accused Ntambara of participating in the killing of about 3,000 Tutsi who had sought refuge at Byiza Stadium in Mbazi. The court found that Ntambara participated in attacks in which Tutsi homes were looted and set on fire before the massacre at the stadium. It also found that he prevented Tutsi who had sought refuge there from escaping and threw a grenade into the crowd. Thousands of Tutsi were killed at the stadium. ALSO READ: French appeals court upholds 27-year sentence for Rwamucyo over Genocide The court convicted Ntambara of genocide and war crimes but acquitted him of a separate charge of incitement to genocide, according to the BBC. The trial followed a Dutch investigation that began in 2020 after Rwandan authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Ntambara in 2014. Ntambara fled Rwanda in 1998 and later obtained Dutch citizenship. Because Dutch law does not allow the extradition of its nationals to Rwanda, Dutch authorities investigated and prosecuted the case in the Netherlands. ALSO READ: Dutch court sentences Genocide suspect to life The International Crimes Team of the Dutch police travelled to Rwanda several times to interview witnesses and conduct investigations at sites linked to the crimes. Ntambara was arrested in Ede on February 14, 2024. Dutch prosecutors said more than 40 witnesses were interviewed by investigators, while 31 witnesses were heard by an examining magistrate. Nine survivors also exercised their right to address the court during the trial. Rwanda welcomes conviction Jean Damascène Bizimana, the Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, welcomed Ntambara's conviction, saying it demonstrated that people responsible for the Genocide against the Tutsi cannot permanently escape justice by fleeing abroad. In a statement posted on Friday, Bizimana described Ntambara as one of the perpetrators involved in the massacre of Tutsi at Byiza Stadium. “This is a lesson to other genocide perpetrators who have sought refuge abroad because genocide is an international crime that does not expire and is punished throughout the world,” Bizimana said. He commended the Netherlands for prosecuting Ntambara over crimes committed during the Genocide against the Tutsi. “The Netherlands has done commendable work in delivering justice to the more than 10,000 Tutsi killed by extremists at Byiza Stadium, including Ntambara Eugène,” Bizimana said. He added that the conviction was a step towards justice for the victims and survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi. The conviction adds to efforts by foreign countries to prosecute people accused of participating in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi under the principle of universal jurisdiction.
