A US federal jury on Tuesday, October 27, convicted Eric Nshimiye, a 54-year-old Rwandan-American, on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice for concealing information about his involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The case stemmed from his testimony during the 2019 trial of Jean-Léonard Teganya, another Rwandan-American who was later convicted of immigration fraud and perjury. Nshimiye was found guilty of lying to a federal jury about his alleged role in the Genocide and his membership in the National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND), the ruling party at the time. ALSO READ: Who are the four other indicted Genocide suspects in the UK? Prosecutors presented testimony from witnesses who said Nshimiye participated in roadblocks where Tutsis were identified for killing and personally killed people in Butare. Here is what to know about him: 1. A former University of Rwanda student and MRND member Nshimiye was a medical student at the National University of Rwanda in Butare, now Huye District, in 1994. He studied alongside Teganya, whom he later defended during the 2019 trial. According to the US Department of Justice, witnesses testified that both men belonged to the MRND, which played a central role in the Genocide. They described Nshimiye as a known party member who frequently attended political rallies and wore its distinctive clothing. During his 2019 testimony, Nshimiye denied participating in the Genocide or belonging to the MRND or the Interahamwe militia. He said he had travelled to Kigali for a holiday before the Genocide began and could not return to Butare because of the chaos that engulfed the country in April 1994. He said he instead fled Rwanda as a refugee and eventually moved to the US, where he became a citizen in 2009. 2. Witnesses said they saw him killing Tutsis According to the US Department of Justice, Nshimiye participated in attacks against Tutsi men and women while studying medicine in Butare, including striking victims on the head with a club. During the trial, a victim who was 17 at the time testified that he saw Nshimiye club a tailor who worked at the university hospital to death. Other witnesses said Nshimiye participated in roadblocks where Tutsis were separated and identified for killing. ALSO READ: How long must justice take? Britain, Rwanda and the Genocide against the Tutsi Following his conviction, Jeffrey Grimming, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England, said the case “belongs to the victims who bravely shared their stories, traveling across the world to relive the most horrifying moments of their lives and bring Nshimiye to justice.” 3. He fled Rwanda through Kenya and settled in the US The US Department of Justice said Nshimiye fled Rwanda in 1994 and travelled to Kenya. In 1995, he entered the US as a refugee after concealing his participation in the Genocide from immigration authorities. He subsequently provided false information about his involvement to obtain lawful permanent residence and, eventually, US citizenship. Nshimiye has lived and worked in Ohio since 1995. “He lied to immigration officials in order to become a U.S. citizen, and he lied to a federal jury to protect himself and a fellow perpetrator,” said Tysen Duva, assistant attorney general of the US Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Now, he will face the consequences of his crimes thanks to the courage of the survivors in this case and the diligence of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who have ensured that Nshimiye will not be able to escape his past,” he added. 4. How his testimony in Teganya’s trial led to his own conviction In 2017, US authorities charged Teganya, Nshimiye’s former university classmate, with fraudulently seeking asylum by concealing his MRND membership and alleged involvement in the Genocide. When called to testify in Teganya’s defence in 2019, Nshimiye told the court that neither man had participated in the Genocide or belonged to the MRND. Teganya was convicted in April 2019 of two counts of immigration fraud and three counts of perjury. The false statements Nshimiye made while testifying in that case later formed the basis of his own prosecution for perjury and obstruction of justice. Nshimiye faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the four perjury counts and up to 10 years for obstruction of justice. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26 next year.
