Urayeneza, who was the Director General of the Ruhango-based Gitwe Hospital and the legal representative and founder of Gitwe University, was arrested in June 2020, along with several other individuals on accusations of committing genocide crimes and covering them up.
The arrest came after several remains were unearthed from hidden graves in the hospital premises.
Urayeneza had been handed life sentence by Muhanga Intermediary Court over complicity to commit Genocide and concealing evidence but appealed against the verdict.
He denied all charges during trial proceedings.
Urayeneza was acquitted on Thursday 31st March 2022 along with co-accused individuals including Samuel Nyakayiro, Dominique Rutaganda and Elise Nsengiyaremye.
These individuals had been handed eight-year jail term.
The court also convicted a co-accused of complicity in Genocide but acquitted him of the charge of concealing evidences. He was sentenced to 25 years.
Regarding remains of Genocide victims which Urayeneza was accused of hiding, the court considered testimonies of former Bourgmestre Alphonse Habiyambere who revealed that retrieved remains would not be buried before the go ahead from Gitarama Prefecture.
Elise Nsengiyaremye who once served as a leader and President of Gacaca court in Karambo was accused of hiding documents containing evidences gathered during hearings of Urayeneza. The court acquitted him on grounds of lacking enough evidences pinning him.
Leon Munyampundu Alias Kinihira who was found guilty had admitted, during Gacaca court hearings, that he killed a person and dumped him/her in a latrine.
It was revealed that he also owned a gun as per testimonies of witnesses who saw him at road blocks mounted to kill Tutsis. The court handed him 25-year sentence.
Urayeneza and co-accused have been serving their sentence in Muhanga Prison prior to the acquittal.
Leave a Reply